Demi-Human Students of Beacon
by Reticent Phoenix
Summary: In a Remnant where Humanity and Faunus live alongside Demi-Humans, creatures once thought to only exist in myth and fairy tales. Follow as one such demi-human, an elf, as he tries to get through life in Beacon. Hopefully things don't go too badly for him while he's there.
1. Demi-Human

**Author's Note:**

 **Right, welcome to the first chapter of Demi-Human Students of Beacon.**

 **I was inspired to do this back around mid-September to mid-October after watching an anime called 'Interviews with Monster Girls'. Working on coming up with the OCs took a while, and the revelations from 'The Lost Fable' forced me to rethink elements of the plot.**

 **Can't say for how frequent the updating on this fanfic will be, but I'll do my best to give you all some quality reading material.**

 **At the bottom of every chapter where a character from a new Demi-Human species is introduced, a short bit of info on that species will be present.**

 **Leave any thoughts you have on the story in the reviews, or PM me if there is something you wish to discuss about. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

 **With that out of the way, hope you all enjoy reading. And have a nice day.**

* * *

 **Demi-Human**

To most, today was an ordinary day.

A day where they'd continue with the well established routines of getting out of bed, breakfast, go to work, lunch, back to work, leave work and head back home, dinner, then sleep. Some of them might go to yoga class. Others may decide they'll try out that donut with sprinkles today. A bunch may decide to cycle or walk to work or wherever their going. While a couple more may think it time to give that jackass upstairs who was playing loud music all last night a piece of their mind.

But for a certain few, today was a whole new day.

It was the first term of the school year. And that 'certain few' I spoke of earlier? They were excited to go to school, it was the day they had been waiting for. For you see, they were the future defenders of Remnant. Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-training.

Well, a majority of them were excited to go.

Aboard one of the several airships that would take these future defenders of Remnant to their long-awaited destination, Beacon Huntsman Academy, one young man was less than thrilled.

"Ugh, why am I being made to suffer?" The young man said as he looked through the glass windows of the airship's observation deck and down to the forests that covered the ground far beneath him with tired eyes. They possessed a slim build, pale-white skin, short white hair and white eyes. He wore a dark grey trench coat over a white shirt, with grey pants and knee-high brown boots, and brown leather gloves. A cloth mask covered his lower-face and neck. Sheathed at his side was a sabre designed to resemble a _liuyedao_. He had other weapons, but they weren't on his person right now.

The young man could easily pass off as a regular human, if it were not for moderately elongated and pointed ears.

He was an Elf. His name? Faen Tatharion.

Faen shook his head and sighed deeply. He was tired. Very tired.

Being forced to stay up until five in the morning, and waking up at six thanks to your roommate could do that to you.

Arms sluggishly wrapped around his neck, and he felt the weight of someone resting their head on his shoulders. The person who had decided to invade his personal space spoke to him in a feminine voice. "Could you stay still for the next five minutes? Last night was a wild one."

Faen turned his head slightly and sent a tired glare at the person holding onto him.

It was a young woman about his own age, with tan skin, unkept grey hair with light brown tips, yellow eyes, and a faint scar over her left cheek. She wore a tan short-sleeved jacket with its right sleeve torn off, a grey V-neck shirt, grey shorts that stopped above her knees, and sandals. At the sides of her hips, a pair of sheathes containing six long claw-like blades. Over her forearms she wore a pair of gauntlets. On top of her her head was a pair of wolf ears, grey fur covered her forearms and lower-legs, her nails were claws, and her canines were fangs.

Was this young woman a human? Most definitely not.

Was she a faunus? Nope.

What was she?

She was a werewolf. It was easy for her to be mistaken for a Faunus, but she most definitely wasn't one.

The werewolf was Faen's friend. Close friend. Best friend. Her name was Grey Ulric, and _she_ was the roommate that had forced him to more or less stay up all night. At least she too was tired as hell thanks to the ruckus she caused last night.

Faen tried to shake Grey off of him, but the young werewolf had locked her arms around him in a vice-like grip, and would not budge from her position. After spending about thirty seconds trying to pry himself out of the firm hold of Grey's arms, Faen gave up and just let her stay where she was.

"Bloody moon-howler." Faen grumbled as he made one last attempt to shake Grey off of him. Failing again, he gave up and decided to just get comfortable.

"What's wrong?" Grey groaned, pressing the top of her head against his left cheek.

"The both of us wouldn't be tired right now if you hadn't turned into a wolf last night." Faen grumpily complained. If he could sum living with a werewolf up in a few words, it was like living with a wild dog and a regular annoying roommate all rolled up all into one really annoying person. At least, that was _his_ idea of what it was like.

Grey responded with a wide yawn, showing off her fangs as she did so, before saying to the elf. "You know we can't control ourselves. And besides, its not my fault that we ran out of coffee. You drank all of it two day ago."

Faen sighed, knowing that she was right. Werewolves had no control of when they could turn into 'The Wolf'. Hell, there wasn't even a way to properly predict when they would transform. Randomly transforming at least once every month, and not even when the full-moon was out. Oh, and Grey was right about how their lack of coffee was his fault.

"Tch. You know why I drink so much coffee." Faen shot back at her.

"Yeah? Why?" Grey questioned the elf.

"To help deal with you everyday." Faen responded. The werewolf snorted at his response, and nestled her head into the crook of his neck.

It was friendly banter between the two really. He had another response in mind, but he decided against saying it. Not wanting to piss off the werewolf that had her arms around his neck, and be thrown through the glass window in front of him and go splat on the ground that was several kilometres below them.

As they stood there, Faen could hear the conversations of the other passengers around him and Grey. Plenty of them were excited to be here and on their way to their destination. They had spent the last six or so years training in Combat School to get here, so it was understandable. A few others were blithering on about things that made Faen silently scoff.

Some spoke about the latest fashion. Others talked about video games. And some were yakking on about memes.

Deciding he'd heard enough, Faen tried to ignore the conversations of the others in the deck. Kind of hard when you have a naturally heightened sense of hearing.

Faen didn't like people. Well, people who weren't his friends, and boy, did he not have a lot of those. So he didn't really like having to be cooped up in an airship full of people from Combat School that he barely knew and complete strangers he didn't know or really give a fig about.

A good thing, in Faen's eyes, that everyone seemed to prefer to stay in their own little friendship groups for now. He really did not want to have to deal with people whilst still trying to stay awake.

Speaking of the others in the airship, Faen took a moment to glance over to his left and right. All around him he could see his fellow passengers bearing traits that made them separate from Humanity and the Faunus. They were Demi-Humans. All the passengers and crew of this airship were Demi-Humans. Demi-Human being the official term used by Humans and Faunus to describe the collective races of elves, werewolves, and many other such folk that they, until recently, considered to be naught but myth and fairy tale.

But how could this be? Why was this so? How could creatures from folklore and legend walk under the same Sun and breath the same air as them?

The exact origins of Demi-Humans, like their cousins in Humanity and Faunuskind, were mysterious and the truth unknown. Why they were here now was because, during the last years of the Great War of Remnant, Grimm activity had been at an all time high. Humanity and Faunus were too caught up in their war to deal with the Grimm properly. And that's when the Demi-Humans came into the picture.

When their secret enclaves came under increasing threat, the Demi-Humans finally decided after centuries of secrecy, to reveal themselves and joined the Great War on the side of Vale and Vacuo. To say there was great shock across Remnant at the revelation that creatures from their world's mythology were in fact real would be an understatement. When the Great War was won by Vale and Vacuo, the Demi-Humans joined the global scene and contributed to Remnant's recovery from the War.

Though, the acceptance of the Demi-Humans into the wider world of Remnant was a whole other matter.

But, we're getting sidetracked. Back to current events.

The airship began to descend, and a message over the speakers announced that they were nearing Beacon.

Faen and Grey, the elf and the werewolf, exited the observation deck and headed to the primary passenger area. Around them were all kinds of Demi-Humans. Among them, Faen saw a Satyr, a Nymph, a Naga, an Arachne, and the elf could have sworn he saw a Vampire. There weren't many of them really, only a couple dozen. But they, and he, were here right now. Didn't matter what or who they were.

He and Grey, while still a little tired, were able to shake a some life into their tired limbs and eyes, and stood up straight a little. Faen taking a moment to turn his face into a mask of cool indifference. Looking to his left, he saw Grey let out one last teeth-filled yawn.

They could feel the airship turn rather quickly as it landed at Beacon's cliffside docks. After a full minute of waiting, the doors opened and the Demi-Human first-years to Beacon were given their first sight of what would be their home for the next four years. Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

Stepping out of their airship and setting foot on solid ground for the first time in six hours, Faen and Grey looked around and took in the sights and smells of the place. The main complex of the Academy was a long distance away from them, a long and wide paved avenue leading from the docks to the Academy. Faen groaning in annoyance at the prospect of having to walk all the way there.

The elf could hear Grey take several sniffs of the air. This was typical and expected behavior of werewolves. If you introduced them to someplace new and different, they'd take a moment to adjust to any new smells around them or identify any that they recognized. At least Grey had the decency to not do it to people. Well, not when they were looking.

Remembering back to around the time that the two had first met. Faen remembered with a good deal of clarity how he had caught Grey sticking her nose in his family's laundry basket. More specifically, sticking her nose into _his_ clothes. That was an odd thing to witness.

Still, better than how he'd heard other werewolves acted. Some had no concept of the idea of privacy, or even decent table manners.

"C'mon Grey. We should get moving." Faen suggested to his werewolf friend. Grey silently nodded and walked forward, continuing to familiarize herself with the new scents that pervaded all around her.

As they walked, Faen took a moment to look towards the other airships that had arrived at Beacon. Among them were the airships from Vale, Vacuo, Mistral and Atlas. Then there were the airships from Avalon, his and Grey's home, and Shangri-La. Avalon was a Demi-Human enclave situated on an island south of the continent of Sanus, while Shangri-La was an enclave hidden in the western regions of the mountain range of northern Anima. There were other enclaves, but Avalon and Shangri-La were the largest and most influential of the ones still standing to this day.

He wondered just what kinds of Demi-Humans Shangri-La had sent. And wondered how they would fare in a fight.

As he and Grey walked down the long avenue and approached Beacon's large courtyard, a certain red-hooded girl and white-haired heiress were engaging with each other in a 'civilized conversation'.

* * *

"What are you, brain-dead?" The bratty heiress rudely berated the red-hooded girl, in her hand a vial of Dust and began to shake it in front of the other girl's face. "Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!"

The red-hooded girl, not exactly one who excelled in social interactions, and finding it hard to answer the heiress properly due to all the Dust that was leaking out of the vial and onto her face, could only stutter back at the heiress. "I... I know..."

"Are you even listening to me?" The heiress continued to speak, obviously not listening to the red-hooded girl. "Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

More and more Dust was being thrown at the red-hooded girl's face. The Dust irritated the girl's nose to the point that she sneezed, with explosive results.

* * *

 _*BOOM*_

Hearing the explosion, Faen and Grey turned around and looked at what had caused such a loud explosion, and here of all places.

"The fraggin' hell?!" Faen muttered in confusion. Some distance away, Faen could see a small could dissipate and in it, they could make out the forms of two girls with rather petite frames. One girl had her hair set in a white ponytail and the other wearing a red hood. The girl with the white ponytail yelling something at the other girl. Approaching them was another girl wearing a black bow on her head and carrying a book in one hand.

"Huh, that sounded exciting. Wanna see what's going on?" Faen's companion asked, becoming slightly more lively and awake.

"We got nothing better to do." Faen shrugged his shoulders and started to walk with Grey towards the three girls in the distance. As they walked towards the three girls, they saw the girl with the white ponytail storm off in frustration, the girl in black and white walked off in another direction, while the red-hooded girl lay on the ground.

As they drew closer to the red-hooded girl, Faen and Grey were able to hear her say despondently to herself. "Welcome to Beacon."

Faen stood back and tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. As was mentioned before, Faen wasn't a 'people person', and let Grey take the lead.

Grey, admitted far more sociable and a better conversationalist when compared to Faen, stepped forward, her shadow falling on the red-hooded girl. She extended her hand towards the girl on the floor, smiled a teeth-filled smile, and said to her. "Hey there, little lamb. Saw that little spat between you and that girl with the ponytail. The name's Grey Ulric, and the bundle of laughter beside me is Faen Tatharion. You alright?"

 _'"Little lamb"? Seriously?'_ Faen mentally groaned.

The girl, who looked a bit young for a Beacon student, took Grey's hand and meekly replied. "Ruby."

Grey easily pulled Ruby up onto her feet with one hand, despite her tired she was. Once she was on her feet did Ruby start to notice the unique features that both Faen and Grey bore. Her eyes widened in realization at what exactly the two were, instantly followed up by awed fascination. Before anything could be said, a boy around his own height and age in a black hoodie and wearing white armour over his chest and shoulders stepped into the picture.

"Uh, hey. I'm Jaune… Jaune Arc. I was gonna, y'know help you up, but you... uh... yeah. Hi!" The blonde haired boy, Jaune, awkwardly introduced himself.

Faen gave Jaune one look and, though he hide it well, was not too impressed by the boy. He seemed a bit... average. Unremarkable. The elf would most likely forget about him before the day had ended. Quickly glancing at Grey, Faen saw that her give Jaune a quick once-over, he couldn't tell what exactly the werewolf thought of Jaune, but, she seemed to like his boyish features. Not to the extent that she might feel some sort of attraction to the boy, hopefully.

It was then that Ruby pointed at Faen and Grey, yelling at the top of her voice. "Oh my god! You're an elf! And you're a werewolf!"

"We're right here. No need to shout." Faen grunted, irritated with Ruby's sudden outburst.

"Ya hit the nail on the head there, little lamb. Though, I didn't think you'd actually get what I was three seconds after meeting me. Most people think I'm a wolf faunus." Grey responded, ignoring Faen's words, and smiled at the smaller girl.

Ruby nervously chuckled and began to boop the tips of her index fingers against each other, before saying. "Oh, well... uh... I read a lot of books about Demi-Humans, and I really wanted to meet a werewolf one day. You guys sound so cool!"

"That's what all people say before they actually meet one." Faen whispered under his breath. Ruby and Jaune had not heard him, but one of Grey's wolf-ears twitched, and she sent him a sideways looks. The elf returned her gaze with a daring look of challenge.

Grey shook her head and smiled at Ruby, continuing her conversation with the red-hooded girl. She seemed to like this human girl.

Faen, meanwhile, had decided that they had stayed standing where they were for longer than he liked and raised his voice to say. "We can talk on the way to the main hall. We're already lagging behind the other first-years."

With that, the elf walked past the other three and further down the courtyard. Behind him Grey, Ruby and Jaune followed after him, though they had to pick up the pace for Faen was quite the quick walker for someone who claimed to be not quite fond of walking in the first place. Once they had caught up with the elf, the three began to converse with each other.

Faen payed little attention to their conversation, and continued walking on past a statue in the middle of the courtyard. But, that didn't mean he couldn't hear what they were saying, and turned his head ever so slightly when he heard the red-hooded human girl, Ruby, mention how the boy, Jaune, had vomited on her sister's shoe while they were on their airship and nicknamed him 'Vomit Boy'. Jaune quickly retorting by calling Ruby 'Crater Face'.

Then, the conversation went to another subject. One that was initiated by Ruby. She asked the others about their weapons, unfolding her scythe-sniper, Crescent Rose, with some pride. Faen had to admit that the weapon was rather impressive. Jaune meekly showed of his sword and shield, Crocea Mors. The shield was capable of turning into a scabbard for the sword. It wasn't extraordinary like Crescent Rose, but, Faen liked that there were others attending the academy that used much simpler weapons that required less maintenance.

When Jaune was done showing off Crocea Mors, Ruby turned to Grey and asked. "So, Grey. Can you show us your weapon? Is it those gauntlets you're wearing? Can you show it to me? Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseleasepleaseple-?"

Faen was a bit concerned about Ruby. Who got excited about weapons this much? Jaune sharing in Faen's concerns for the red-hooded girl. Grey smiled at the excited and pleading look on Ruby's face, and decided to grant her request.

The werewolf raised her arms, the gauntlets covering the entirety of her forearms including her hands, and without warning three claw-like blades, each one 20cm (7 inches) in length and razor sharp, emerged from the gauntlets. Ruby's eyes turned as large as dinner plates and a wide smile was present on her face. Jaune jumped back in surprise at the blade's sudden emergence from Grey's gauntlets.

"Think that's it? Watch this." Grey pointed the front of her gauntlet towards the grassy soil of the courtyard, and, with a press of a button on the underside of the gauntlet, one of the blades shot from its slot. Ruby and Jaune looked on in amazement at this. In a flash of grey steel, the blade shot through the air buried itself a quarter way into the soil.

Grey walked over to the blade and, both gently and carefully, pulled it free from the ground and returned the blade into it's slot.

"That's incredible!" The red-hooded girl squealed. It almost looked like she was about to faint from the sheer amount of excitement she was experiencing.

Grey sheathed her gauntlets' claws and turned to Faen, and, with a wink, said. "Faen? You gonna show them yours? I showed them mine."

Faen had an uninterested look on what little of his face they could see. But, he silently complied and unsheathed his sabre from its scabbard. It was simple in the way that it didn't transform into anything else, like Jaune's sword. It's guard and pommel were made of silver, the grip was wooden and wrapped in leather, the 91cm (36 inches) steel blade was single-edged and moderately curved, and caught the light of the sun in its keen edge.

"Well, at least there are people like you guys who appreciate the classics." The Ruby girl spoke up as she admired the sword's craftmanship.

Faen, glanced over to Jaune and gauged his reaction. The blonde boy seemed to be a bit uplifted upon learning that there was someone else using a weapon that didn't have a crazy alternate form.

"Yeah. I suppose so." Faen muttered in reply. The elf prepared to sheathe the sword into its scabbard, but a voice suddenly called out to the group. More specifically, to Faen.

"Nice knife, freak!"

Faen's head snapped towards where he had heard the voice come from. It belonged to a tall boy, taller than him really, with a large mace at his side, wearing silver-grey armour and orange hair.

Faen had limited contact with humans, only a few ever come to the small town he and Grey came from. They were not bad, but this human was something else. He'd heard of humans acting discriminatorily towards Demi-Humans before, but had never been a victim of such actions himself. That didn't mean he had no experience in dealing with assholes.

"Couldn't believe the Councils decided to let _monsters_ like you into the Academies." The boy continued. Sneering at Faen and Grey, putting emphasis on the word 'monsters'. "You should've stayed on your island. Those Faunus were bad enough, now we got monsters like you walking all over the place."

Faen's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed at Cardin's words. His sabre in hand, Faen took a step towards the human and snarled in a low voice. "If you have a problem with my being here, I suggest we resolve this issue in an arena."

The human snorted at Faen, and shot back. "Pfft. What can a knife-ears do to me? One hit from my mace will be enough to break your Aura, and your spine."

Faen's eyes glinted with a spiteful light, and his free left hand slowly clenched and unclenched. A pair of hands, Grey on his right and Ruby on his left, took hold of his arm and tried to pull him away from the human teen.

"C'mon Faen." The elf heard Grey whisper into his ear. "Ignore him. Remember-"

"Stay out of this, _dog_." The human interrupted Grey before she could finish. Faen felt Grey's grip on his arm tighten. Grey _hated_ being called a dog. He could only imagine the face that she was making right now.

"Hey!" The small voice of Ruby yelled from Faen's left, everyone looking towards the young girl when she spoke. Ruby stepped between Faen and the human and stood defiantly against the latter, an angered look on her face. "Back off right now and leave us alone!"

The human looked down at Ruby, a contemptuous look on his face as his indigo eyes stared back at Ruby's silver ones. Faen was slightly annoyed that Ruby had gotten in his way and that a girl as little as herself was standing up for him, but he had to admit that he found it admirable that she would do such a thing.

"Go on ahead to the main hall, girl. This is between me and the freaks." The tall human said to Ruby as his gaze refocused on Faen and Grey.

"Whoa, guys! I don't think there's a need for us all to get into a fight." Jaune tried to defuse the situation, but he went largely ignored.

The air was filled with tension. And it seemed that to everyone watching that a fight could break out in any moment.

Faen began to raise his sword-arm, Cardin started to reach for his mace, while Grey readied her clawed-gauntlets. Ruby reached for Crescent Rose, while Jaune stepped away from the coming confrontation. But, they were stopped when a stern female voice cut through the air.

"Ahem! What, may I ask, is going on here?"

Everyone looked to the source of the voice and froze at the sight of who the voice belonged to. Stood a small distance away, and quickly approaching the small group, was a tall woman in a greyish-brown three piece suit. A white clay mask depicting the beauteous and impassive face of a woman, was worn over her face, cyan eyes staring out from behind the mask's eyeholes. Her most striking feature, however, was the writhing tangle of hissing brown snakes that existed where the hair on her head should be present. She was a gorgon, but more then that, she was Professor Kallisto Taupe. The appointed supervisor and administrator of all things related to Demi-Humans in the Academy, and a skilled Huntress back in her time.

Faen and Cardin stepped away from each other. The elf and Grey went on to stand up straight and bowed their heads to the approaching woman, respectfully addressing the gorgon woman. "Professor Taupe."

"Yes yes, I know who I am." The professor brusquely responded to the two Demi-Humans' words. As soon as she came within a few paces of the Beacon first-years, she planted both hands on her hips and assumedly, no one could tell under that mask of hers, glared at them all. The snakes on her head staring at them all unflinchingly. "Now, what is going on here? Weapons are not to be raised against other students unless permitted by a professor."

"Nothing was happening." Cardin grumbled, refusing to look at the gorgon's eyes and that of her snakes.

Surprisingly, it was Ruby that spoke up again. Gesturing a hand towards the orange-haired human, she said. "He started it. He called Faen a 'knife-ears', Grey a 'dog', and-"

Professor Taupe rose a hand to stop Ruby where she was. The face of Professor Taupe's mask turned to each of those present. Scrutinizing each of them closely and thoroughly. An alarm rang from the masked professor's pocket. She fished out her scroll from her jacket and turned off the alarm, before turning back to the first-years and saying. "You all have five minutes until the Headmaster's speech. I recommend you hurry over to the main hall. But know that this matter will be dealt with in time."

"Yes, Professor." The five first-years said in unison, though Cardin spoke through closed teeth. The first-years walked off in silence towards the main hall of Beacon, Professor Taupe watching them go.

Faen, Grey, Ruby, Jaune, and the other human walked into Beacon's noisome main hall. The orange-haired human walking off and away from the other four. Faen would remember his face, and was determined to get back at the human.

"C'mon Grey." Faen muttered to the werewolf as he turned and strode to a vacant space amongst the crowd.

* * *

As Faen left the three behind, Grey shook her head and followed after him. She took a moment to turn her head and wave goodbye to Ruby and Jaune. "See you guys later, and sorry for dragging you into that thing back there. Take care little lamb!"

With that, Grey hurried after Faen.

"Uh, see you later, Grey!" Ruby waved the werewolf goodbye. As Grey disappeared into the crowd of students, a girl with a mane of blonde-hair and a pair of impressive bracelets emerged from said crowd and called out to Ruby.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!"

"Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" And with that, Ruby was off. Leaving Jaune all on his own.

"Hey wait!" The blonde boy tried to stop Ruby, or at least talk to her some more. But the red-hooded girl was already gone. Slumping his shoulders and letting out a despondent groan, Jaune continued to speak. "Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?!"

Jaune walked off to find somewhere to stand once he finished speaking. Unbeknownst to him, a certain red-haired champion watched him with an interested glint in her eyes.

* * *

In another part of the hall, Faen and Grey stood together. Faen's arms was crossed and his eyes were fixed on the main hall's stage. Silently, he embedded the orange-haired human's face into his memory and began to contemplate what he would do to him.

"Not even a day in Beacon, and we nearly get into a fight with a human. I suppose you've got some plan to get back at the bastard." Grey sighed as she stood beside him. Incidents like this had happened before. Faen or Grey was insulted, and the elf would take it to a personal level and hold a grudge against the person. Eventually, he'd find ways to repay the insult.

People said that he took his little vendettas against people too far, or that he was being petty. He didn't care. Insults were insults, and he would not stand for insults against his person.

Faen turned his head slightly, and responded, saying. "He insulted me, you, and our peoples. For insulting me, I'll beat him in combat. For insulting you, I will humiliate him. For insulting our people, I break his weapon-hand."

The werewolf rolled her eyes. She had cooled off, but Faen remained in a state of simmering anger, and said. "That bastard's a fangless flea. All bluster, no bite. And besides, what should _his_ opinion matter?"

"Formless words or not. He still did us insult. And for that, he suffers." Faen sharply responded, his eyes narrowing as he finished speaking.

Grey shook her head in disapproval, but decided not to argue any further. She and Faen had gotten into arguments about his tendency to take insults poorly. None of them went anywhere or changed anything. Changing the subject to something else, Grey huffed and said. "Heh, at least our confrontation with that jackass allowed us to see Professor Kallisto Taupe."

Faen thought about what Grey said and supposed that she was right. Kallisto Taupe was one of the first Demi-Human Huntresses of Beacon, and had earned a good deal of fame when she was active in the field. Becoming something of an icon amongst Demi-Humans with others such as Aurelius Aquila, and Surtr Brann.

Faen let out a tired sigh, before proceeding to pinch the bridge of his nose, and said. "I suppose you're right about that. But we were bound to see her sooner or later. She's a professor here, remember?"

"Of course I'm right, ya downer. But we got to see her sooner." Grey cut in with a smug grin on her face. "Never mind all that. Let's just appreciate the moment right now. We're here. We're finally in Beacon."

"Huh. Yeah, we're here." Faen replied, having calmed down.

"This also gets you away from my family." Grey added. Faen's face returned to the expression of icy irritation he'd worn previously, with an addition of a 'are you serious' look in his eyes. Heedless of Faen's change in attitude, Grey continued. "Mom wants to skin you alive for accidently breaking that vase grandmother gave to her. And dad still wants to suck the marrow from your bones, his words, for accidently setting fire to the kitchen and living room. And my sister wants to castrate you for some reason. Hopefully they'll have cooled down once we get back home."

Faen and Grey stood and looked at each other in silence for a long moment. The silence between the two broken when Faen said to Grey, his right eye twitching. "I. Hate. You."

The two Demi-Humans noticed movement on the main stage of the hall. Looking over to the stage, they saw Professor Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon, standing before a microphone, while Professor Goodwitch, Beacon's Combat Instructor, stood beside him. The Headmaster came closer to the microphone so that his mouth was only a few centimetres away from it, and began to address the assembled first-years.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

And with that Ozpin walked away from the microphone, Goodwitch quickly taking his place and said into the microphone. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Faen and Grey silently watched Ozpin leave the room. The elf then went ahead and turned to face the werewolf, saying to her. "And you called me a downer earlier."

* * *

 **Right, first chapter done. Hoped you enjoyed. Below will be a small list of what the certain names or parts of names of certain OCs mean, and of course, the before mentioned information on the Demi-Humans of Remnant.**

 **Faen Tathation: Faen means 'Radiant, white'. While Tatharion means 'Son of Willow'. Derived from the Sindarin language created by J.R.R Tolkien.**

 **Grey Ulric: Grey is grey, no idea why I should say this. Ulric means 'Wolf-Ruler' in Middle English.**

 **Kallisto Taupe: Kallisto means 'Beautiful' in Greek. Taupe is a greyish-brown colour.**

* * *

 _A Guide to Demi-Humans by David Silver_

 _Elves:_ _Nearly completely identical to Humans when it comes to physical appearances. Elves differentiate from Humans through their distinctly elongated and pointed ears. They possess an acute sense of hearing that is beyond that of a human's, and rivals that of a faunus. The same goes for eyesight, and in some cases, their sense of smell. Contrary to their common portrayals in folklore, Elves do not live forever, nor do they live lifespans longer than Humans._

 _Of the many Demi-Humans I have encountered, the Elves were among the least receptive of me and even less forthcoming in information about themselves. Preferring to live in small groups, Elves often live apart from even other Demi-Humans, and may appear guarded towards those that they are not familiar with them. Some Elves live among others not of their kin, but even then it takes time for one to become regarded as something akin to a friend in their eyes._

 _Gorgons: Gorgons can very in their appearance. Some may possess snake like scales for skin, while others may have leathery bat-like wings. The one trait that is common among Gorgons is the snakes that exist where hair would normally be in humans, faunus, and other demi-humans. Whether they are as horrible to behold as common myth and legends makes them out to be is unknown. For all Gorgons wear clay masks that depict the beautiful faces of men and women._

 _Surprisingly, Gorgons are rather amicable and generous hosts to guests in their homes or places where they feel at ease. But this takes a turn when they leave such places, and often appear stern as stone._

 _Werewolves: The appearance of a Werewolf is surprising to say the least. At a first glance, a Werewolf may be assumed to be a Faunus, but the two are most definitely different creatures. Werewolves can be identified by extra pair of tall wolf ears on their heads, canines as sharp as daggers, fur-covered forearms and lower-legs, with claws in the place of nails._

 _Werewolves were one of the most dangerous of the Demi-Humans I had the fortune to encounter. The possibility of them turning into 'The Wolf', as they refer to their transformed state, ever haunted me while I stayed with them. Unfortunately, I would be witness to one such transformation, but thankfully, their familiarity with me allowed me to come out of the encounter without any bodily harm._


	2. First Morning

**Author's Note:**

 **Well everyone, we're in 2019. Hope the start of this new year has been alright for you all so far.**

 **I don't have much to say here, so I'll just leave you all to read ahead.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 **First Morning**

Faen's eyes slowly blinked open. He woke up within Beacon's immense ballroom, dozens of other first-years still asleep in their sleeping bags all around him. In the sleeping bag beside him, Grey still slumbered. Looking outside through one of the ballroom's tall windows, Faen saw that the sky had taken the familiar orange hue that accompanied the rising sun.

"Good morning, sunshine." Faen whispered to no one in particular.

After Ozpin's _thrilling_ speech, he and the other first-years were given a short tour by older Beacon students around Beacon. The place was larger than Faen had anticipated. Questions had been asked, and answers to those questions were given whenever possible. After the tour, the first-years were designated lockers where they stored their weapons. And after that, were taken to the ballroom and given sleeping bags.

He'd gotten to bed early last night, falling asleep the moment he'd crawled into his sleeping bag.

Not wanting to wake anyone, especially Grey, Faen carefully and quietly got out of his sleeping bag. Faen went over to the washroom and quickly cleaned himself and changed into his combat outfit. Though, he chose to forgo his mask and gloves. He didn't wear his mask all the time, despite what Grey said.

Refreshed and having changed his clothes, Faen headed off to Beacon's immense cafeteria.

As he entered, he saw he wasn't the only early-riser. There were about five others already eating their breakfast. Quickly glancing at each of them, only two stood out ever so slightly to him.

There was the person he believed to be a vampire back in the airship. A pale-skinned girl with long dark dusk-blue hair tied into a bun, a tray of food in front of her untouched. She wore a dark-blue top and skirt, with dark stockings and boots. Over her clothing she wore a black cuirass, greaves, and bracers. Beside her was a pair of shades and black gloves. Her face was serene and her eyelids closed, her lips moving constantly as if she was reciting a prayer. The girl then bowed her head before opening her eyelids, revealing orange eyes, and began to dig into the food on her tray. Her upper canines were long and fang-like, but not too long that it proved detrimental to her ability to eat or speak.

The other person of note in the cafeteria was the girl wearing the black bow on top of her head from yesterday. She was farther away from the others and was reading a book as she ate. To Faen she was quite the beauty. Her fair skin, long black hair, and amber eyes made his gaze linger on her longer than he would normally do so for a stranger. She wore a black vest with coattails over a white shirt, white shorts with dark stockings and black boots. It looked like she was eating a tuna sandwich.

Faen looked away after eyeing the girl for four full seconds. He wasn't in Beacon to ogle pretty girls.

He got food for himself and Grey, knowing her, she'd soon be up. It was almost a routine thing he and Grey had. If he woke up first, she'd stay asleep for a little while longer. If she woke up, he'd stay asleep. Though, he preferred to wake up first, for Grey could get in all kinds of antics while he slept. She'd once slipped a goat into his bed as part of a joke, somehow.

Sure enough, Grey did come.

She too was in her combat outfit, though she had her jacket slung over her right shoulder. He and Grey locked eyes with each other and nodded to each other, the werewolf walking over to where he was seated and sat beside him as soon as she reached Faen.

"Mornin'." Grey greeted him. Faen, sipping from a cup of water, acknowledged her greeting by nodding to his friend.

"Any bad dreams?" He asked Grey. Another part of their morning rituals. Werewolves had an unwanted tendency to relive the memories of the time they were locked in the grips of 'The Wolf' when they slept. Faen wanted to make sure she was alright and in good fighting condition.

The werewolf didn't answer immediately. She picked up the ham sandwich he'd got for her and took a quick bite from it, chewed the food in her mouth for a few seconds. Swallowing the food in her mouth, Grey looked at Faen and finally replied.

"No. You get any bad dreams?" Grey asked him in turn, not for the same reasons Faen had asked her. But just out of concern for him.

"No." Faen instantly replied. He was being truthful, but Grey's eyes lingered on him for a moment before she looked and continued with her breakfast.

They ate in silence, the only sounds in the cafeteria being the clatter of cutlery, plates, and trays being moved about. There was the occasional voices of the others in the cafeteria, which steadily became louder as more people entered the cafeteria. As they ate, and after he finished, Faen decided to observe the other first-years. As could be expected, they were a diverse bunch, and some of them were mingling with each other.

There wasn't a lot of interaction between demi-humans and the humans and faunus. Something that he had expected.

Despite their introduction into the wider world, demi-humans still preferred to keep to themselves. A large majority of demi-humans stayed within the boundaries of the demi-human enclaves scattered throughout the world. Even those who lived amongst the human and faunus weren't the most approachable of people a lot of the time.

Guess that's what happens when you live in a society that had, for generations, survived and thrived on isolation from the rest of the world.

He saw a pair consisting of a quiet boy with black-hair with a stripe of pink, and a loud and hyper-active ginger girl who never seemed to stop talling. Even while she was gobbled down three helpings of pancakes, she just kept talking. Faen never thought he'd ever seen someone speak so much.

 _'Good luck to him or anyone who gets paired with her.'_ Faen sympathetically thought as he gave the pair one last look. He could swear that he'd heard the girl talk about bribing the headmaster, or something along those lines.

He saw that blonde human, whose name escaped him, from yestreday. The boy looked as if he were a lost puppy trying to find his way around a large house.

Shortly after the blonde human bumbled into the cafeteria, Ruby entered. An older girl with blonde-hair of impressive length with the red-hooded girl. She wore a tan jacket with short sleeves with a yellow crop-top underneath, a brown belt, black mini-shorts. Brown knee-length boots, black fingerless gloves, and an orange scarf around her neck.

Ruby noticed Faen and Grey, and excitedly waved at them. Out of politeness, Faen waved back at her once. Grey meanwhile, got up from her seat and waved more enthusiastically than him, and gestured for the two to join them.

Ruby and her blonde companion followed through with Grey's invitation, and, after grabbing whatever food and drink they wanted for breakfast. They joined the two demi-humans at their table, sitting opposite the two. Faen looked on in concern of the fact that Ruby had covered her plate in chocolate-chip cookies. That couldn't be healthy.

"Hi Grey! It's good to see you too, Faen." Ruby greeted them.

"Morning." Faen returned the red-hooded human girl's words in a clipped tone. He didn't mean any form of hostility, but he wanted to make them aware, without being overtly rude, that he didn't want to talk too much. Though, he wasn't really sure that it had gone through to them.

"Hey there little lamb. Nice morning right?" Grey started. The werewolf looked over to the blonde girl with Ruby and asked. "And what's your name?"

"Name's Yang Xiao Long. I'm Ruby's older sister. Nice to meet you guys, Ruby was talking about you guys all throughout the night." Grey and Faen rose a brow at Yang's response and looked towards the red-hooded girl. Ruby pouted at her 'older sister', and whined in denial.

"Yang! I was not!"

 _'Sisters? They look hardly alike. How are they-'_ Faen stopped himself. Realising that the two must be half-siblings. That or one of them was adopted.

"So, Initiation." Grey went on to say to the two girls. "What do you guys think is gonna happen? The brochures weren't really forthcoming when it came to it."

The Yang girl shrugged her shoulders and replied. "No idea. Our dad and uncle went to Beacon with our mom, but they didn't tell us what happens. All we know is that we need our weapons and we're gonna fight Grimm at some point. Our uncle told us some crazy things though, but I doubt that they're true."

"Such as?" Faen asked. Rumours and fanciful tales could hold some truth in them. And any truth that could be gleamed from their uncle's words would be more advantageous to them than nothing at all.

"Well, he once said he had to headbutt a Deathstalker to death to prove your Aura was strong or even activated in the first place. But I don't think they force first-years to do that on Initiation." Yang spoke.

"That sounds... hard to believe." Grey hesitantly uttered. Headbutting a Deathstalker to death sounded impressive, but would more likely than not, result in you splitting your head open or being torn apart by the bloody giant Creature of Grimm.

"And that he had to fight in a pit full of Olgoi-khorkhoi Professor Ozpin imported from Vacuo." Ruby went on say.

"Unlikely, I say. Anything else?" Faen slowly asked, certain that their uncle had just been pulling on their legs. There was no way the Headmaster would force his students to fight such a vicious type of Grimm just for Initiation. No way at all.

"He also said that first-years had to rescue a beautiful innkeeper from a pack of Beowulves, and the ones that get there first and rescue her get to go on a date with her." Yang said. Okay, that was obviously not true. The Academies wouldn't needlessly endanger civilians just for the sake of first-years proving they belonged in their institutions.

"Yeah, he even once told us that mom rode a giant Nevermore to get to their objective." Ruby chipped in.

"Really?" Grey chuckled, amused at the thought of someone riding atop a giant Nevermore. Faen thought that was crazy and was most likely an exaggeration. The Initiation would obviously have them fight Grimm, but it seemed that Ruby and Yang's uncle was careful in not telling them any other details, and asking for more details wouldn't get him anywhere. So he dropped out of the conversation, and watched the others in the cafeteria.

More people began to trickle into the cafeteria, while a few left. They hadn't received a specific time nor a location for when and where Initiation was to take place, so everyone decided it'd be best if they woke up bright and early. He and Grey should probably head off to the locker room soon and ensure they were ready.

He saw the human that dared offend to him yesterday stride into the cafeteria. The human intentionally bumped his shoulder into a passing faunus as he strode through the long lines of tables. He and Faen locked eyes for a moment, the two sharing a scornful scowl before breaking away.

At the edge of his vision, Faen saw the girl with the black bow on her head stand up from her seat, put her empty tray awat, and begin to leave the cafeteria. Faen focused his one eyes on her and followed the bow-wearing girl as she headed towards the door. Before she passed through the cafeteria's doors, the girl stopped, turned, and looked around. Acting quickly, he focused his gaze past Ruby and Yang and towards the wall opposite him, while keeping the girl in the periphery of his vision. The girl didn't seem to have noticed him and went on her way.

The girl intrigued him. He had to admit he found her physically attractive, but it was the air of mystery that drew Faen's attention towards her. There was something about her that made him believe there was more to her than first appearances might suggest. But he wasn't going to go all 'stalker mode' on her, and start to pry into her life or anything.

He wasn't a creep.

It was then that Faen heard someone nearby abruptly cough. Looking towards the source, he saw that it was the blonde human girl, Yang, who had drawn his attention back to his immediate surrounding. A cheeky smile on her face as she questioned the elf.

"Sooo... You interested in calm, dark, and mysterious? Me and Rubes know her a bit. We can help introduce you to h-"

"I'm not interested in the way you're thinking." Faen interrupted her. He wasn't go to do this. not this early in the morning. Wait, did he word that properly?

"So you're in love with her?" Yang unexpectedly exclaimed, feigning surprise.

 _'Tch. Wording. Wording.'_ Faen internally chastised himself upon realising how his words could and were exploited for the purposes of a joke, or a string of teasing comments. Abruptly, he flatly responded. "No."

Yang continued on with her teasing, saying. "I mean, I thought you were just interested in getting into her pants. But you want to put a ring on her finger?"

Faen looked at her now with a blank expression on his face. This human girl was going to be just as bad as Grey when the werewolf was fully awake. Teasing whenever she could find an opportunity to be, and relentless in its execution. The only way this could get worse was if Yang told terrible puns. That would be terrible, no, horrendous.

"Yang! Stop!" Ruby groaned. Judging from her tone, this wasn't an uncommon thing for Yang to do. "I'm sure Faen is just thinking on-"

"So you're interested in Faen, Ruby? How adorable! When did you start to feel this way? Was it love at first sight?" Grey stepped in and teased the younger girl.

"No!" Ruby protested, going on to hiss disapprovingly at her older sister and Grey. "Yang! Grey! Stop embarrassing me!"

"Gods damn it, Grey." Faen groaned. If she and Yang became friends, he would throw himself of the cliffs by Beacon docks. Grey was trying enough at times. He dreaded what it would be like to see her with an accomplice.

"C'mon Ruby. We're just joking. But, if you are..." Yang flashed her sister a shit-eating grin.

"Yang!" Ruby yelled.

"Ugh." Faen grunted. He had enough of this conversation, and wordlessly left the table. He might have heard one of them call out to him, but he ignored whoever spoke and kept walking.

* * *

A while later, Faen was now in the locker room. It was quiter and less occupied when compared to the cafeteria. Only a few other people were present.

Which was fine by him really.

Opening his locker, Faen, with meticulous care, took out his sword and examined it for sometime. Affectionately, he ran the fingers of his left-hand along the flat edge of the slender blade of the sabre. The sabre wasn't his only weapon. There was a wrist-bow, and a spear that could transform into a shortsword. The sword-spear the only one of his weapons that could be considered alike to a 'modern' transforming weapon. A 'switch-weapon' was how they were referred to as by demi-humans.

Like almost everyone, he'd given his weapons a name, though he'd forgone doing so for his wrist-bow. His sword-spear was _Aglar_ , _'Glory'_ as it translated in the human language. And his sabre, the weapon he favoured the most, was _Gwaedh_ , _'Oath'._

Why limit yourself to only one weapon when you could have several?

Faen went on ahead to lightly press the razor-sharp edge of his saber's blade against the palm of his ungloved left hand. Faen's Aura met the steel of the blade before it could touch his skin. Putting more pressure on the area where his blade connected with his Aura, Faen felt the resistance from his Aura increase. Faen pulled his sabre away from his hand and sheathed it into its scabbard.

It was a ritual he performed before combat, one that all Aura-users among the Elves did. Originating from an old custom where elf warriors pressed a blade to one of their palms and cut it, their spilt blood a sign of their determination for victory in battle and their solemn acknowledgement that it would cost them something. From blood to their lives.

Of course, he wouldn't spill his own blood for the reasons of hygiene and because his Aura wouldn't permit it while he had any. It was a symbolic gesture, and the meaning behind it meant much to him.

As he slipped his glove over his left hand, Faen heard footsteps approaching him. Turning his head, he saw Grey walking up to him, the werewolf wearing her jacket and clawed-gauntlets. The young woman going on to asked him.

"Hey there Faen. You alright?"

"Yeah." Faen replied as he packed four magazines of Dust-infused bolts into the pockets of his belt.

Grey leaned her back against the locker next to Faen's and, as she examined the clawed fingernails of her left hand, asked him. "So, what do you think? Y'know, of those two humans? Ruby and Yang?"

"Ruby's nice enough. If Yang doesn't make too many jokes, I think I'll get to like her as well." Faen impassively responded. Those were his honest thoughts on the two, but he was hesitant to say friends.

"Heh. At least you didn't stare at her rack. I saw a bunch of other guys staring at her, even that ass from yesterday." Faen let out a short annoyed grunt at Grey's comment. The werewolf continued on with speaking, ignoring the sound of annoyance made by her close friend. "She's fun. I think she and I will get along quite well."

Faen shuddered at the thought of Grey and Yang becoming friends. His earlier fears of what would happen if Grey acquired a friend who shared in her sense of humour playing out in his mind. Shaking such thoughts aside, Faen took his wrist-bow, a compact wrist-mounted crossbow, and fixed it over his left wrist. After that, he retrieved a one-handed shortsword with a 50cm (19 inch) leaf-shaped blade, and fixed it behind his right shoulder. "How about you? What else do you think about the humans? About Vale?"

"They're alright, most people appear to be more curious about me than afraid. I think I'll like it here. Vale's apparently a lot less misty than Avalon. But..." Grey paused, a slightly troubled look on her face.

Seeing this, Faen closed his locker, retrieving his mask before he did, and questioned the werewolf. "'But'?"

Grey rubbed the back of her neck before responding. "After you left the cafeteria, I asked Ruby how old she was. She's fifteen."

"Fifteen." Faen parroted Grey, his voice a low whisper. He had assumed Ruby was younger than him and Grey, but to realise that she was two years younger than him, and probably the youngest person in Beacon right now, really caught him off guard.

"Yeah. Apparently, the Headmaster invited her into Beacon after she stopped a robbery. Can you believe it? I didn't know the Headmaster had the right to do such a thing!" Faen's brow furrowed and he thumbed his chin as Grey finished talking.

He looked at Grey, attempting to understand her troubled face. She genuinely seemed to like Ruby and desired to befriend her. Faen suspected that Grey liked Ruby partially due to how fascinated the girl had been to meet her. As a werewolf, Grey's transformations were unpredictable, resulting in her having few real friends due to how people would always keep her at arm's length just in case anything happened. He had become her friend because of how persistent she had been to be friends with him, eventually blossoming into the relationship the two had now.

From his short interactions with the human, Faen considered the idea of Ruby being a good choice of friend for Grey. She was eager, and slightly reminded him of Grey back when they first met. But was the red-hooded human ready for this?

Not just Grey being a werewolf. Was Ruby ready for Beacon?

She was two years behind everyone else here. The elf started to question the reasoning behind why she had been allowed into Beacon so early.

 _'What could make her so special that Headmaster Ozpin himself would invite her into Beacon? And two years before the norm as well.'_ Faen internally pondered. He would leave it to Fate to determine whether Ruby was ready.

As they spoke with one another, their heightened senses of hearing allowed Faen and Grey to listen in on the nearby conversations of their fellow first-years. It might be rude to eavesdrop on others, but Faen had no qualms against it. He might hear something particularly interesting. One of the conversations he and Grey listened in on caught the pair's attention, and made the two walk a short way over to look at the two people's conversing with each other. One of them was the human girl from yesterday, the white-haired girl they'd seen chastising Ruby. The other was quite the surprise for the two demi-humans.

A tall girl with long red-hair tied into a long ponytail and dazzling green eyes, wearing bronze greaves and a bracer over her left forearm. A bronze circlet worn amidst her hair. She also wore a brown corset that also covered her breasts, and over her mini-skirt was a red sash that fell down to her ankles. A polite smile on her face as she spoke with the white-haired girl.

"What?" Faen raised a brow in astonishment. He recognized the red-haired girl, so too did Grey. But he could hardly believe it, even after hearing her voice and the white-haired girl call her by her name.

"Pyrrha Nikos? She's here?" Even in the Demi-Human enclave of Avalon, they knew who Pyrrha Nikos was. The four-time consecutive winner of the Mistral Regional Tournament, and the top of her class in Sanctum Academy. Such a prodigious and skilled young warrior had impressed and garnered respect from even the demi-human community.

Secretly, Faen's own sword-spear, _Aglar_ , had been inspired by the Invincible Girl's own weapon. Though, _Aglar's_ spear form was longer in length when compared to Miló. The elf also longed to cross blades with the champion.

Not so to prove that he was superior to her. Oh no, no, no.

What he wanted was just the honour of sparring with such a skilled warrior. It didn't matter if he was beaten, but a small part of him in the back of his mind desired to see if he could best her Pyrrha in combat. No, that was far from likely. He'd watched in combat, and knew that he wouldn't fare well against the 'Invincible Girl'.

A closer look at the white-haired girl also made Faen realise who she was as well. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.

"So, Pyrrha, have you given thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!" It seemed the Schnee was trying to worm her way into Nikos' good graces. Faen frowned and turned away from the two human girls, Grey following after him.

The werewolf turned to Faen and said to the elf. "Two big-shots, huh? Think we might get into a team with any of them? Nikos would be an interesting one, not sure about the Schnee."

"Eh. If we do, it better not be the Schnee." Faen had no personal vendetta against the Schnees, but the monopoly the company possessed over the distribution of Dust, and the rumours he'd heard of malpractices within the company made him distrustful of the SDC. Not helped by the tense relationship the SDC had with the demi-human enclaves after the enclaves' refusal to allow the SDC access to their Dust mines. He'd heard that the SDC had tried to bribe and even blackmail the members of the enclave councils to get their way.

Maybe he could cross blades with her. See if the dainty heiress was more than just looks and money.

 _'Huh. Not a bad idea at all.'_ Faen thought to himself as he and Grey walked back to his locker.

With nothing better to do, Faen sat on one of the locker room's benches and waited, Grey sitting beside him. He performed some last minute checks on his gear, while Grey calmly drummed the bench with her claws.

More first-years filtered into the locker room, gathering their gear and waiting for the signal or announcement that would tell them where they needed to go for Initiation. Among them, the female vampire from before passed them by. He caught a glimpse of a tall first-year, probably the tallest individual in their year, with a pair of horns protruding out from the top of his forehead. A Naga slithered over to a locker near Faen's and retrieved a trishula from her locker.

Faen watched all of them, particularly the demi-humans, in an attempt to size up who could be worth being in a team with. He wanted to be on a team with Grey, that was a fact he and the werewolf had established before they'd headed off for Beacon. Faen had also expressed his want to be on a team comprised entirely of demi-humans, Grey was not against the idea, but she didn't exactly say she approved it either.

The elf really did not know what would happen if he had to be forced into a team where he was the only demi-human. He honestly dreaded the thought.

As they waited, Faen felt as if someone was watching him from behind. Turning around, Faen was only able to catch a glimpse of a tail of black fur disappear behind a row of lockers. Someone was watching him now.

"What's up?" Grey asked Faen, her right brow raised in intrigue.

"Nothing. I just-" Faen was interrupted when Grey snorted as she tried to contain her laughter at something. The elf looked back at Grey with a concerned and questioning look on his face.

Grey waved a hand reassuringly at Faen and quickly explained herself. "I'm sorry! I just heard that cute human boy from yesterday, Jaune, try to chat up the Schnee. You remember Jaune? Yeah. He got a bit too close, and judging from the sound, the Schnee had Nikos throw her spear at him."

"I think I heard." Faen replied. Jaune, yes, that was the blonde human boy's name. Though, Faen disapproved Grey's choice of the word 'cute' to describe him. Scraggly is what he'd have used, if his memory of what the boy looked liked was correct.

As Faen was in the midst of thought, the voice of Professor Goodwitch filled the air of the locker room through the couple of speakers inside the room.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

"That's our cue!" Grey was instantly on her feet. Taking a moment to roll her shoulders and flex her fingers.

"Then I suppose we should get going." Faen grunted as he rose up onto his feet, slipping his mask over his lower-face and neck. "Let's move."

With that, the two left with the other first-years.

* * *

Faen, Grey, and the rest of the first-years were now stood in a line near the edge of Beacon Cliff. The view of the cliff gave the first-years quite the view of the expansive Emerald Forest. It was like gazing at a sea of green that stretched far into the horizon.

Th elf heard Grey let out an amazed whistle from where she stood beside him. If he were so inclined, he would do the same. A part of him wanted a camera to take a picture of this marvelous vista.

It wasn't just the tall cliff that the first-years were stood on. Below their feet was a metal plate, their purpose Faen could only guess at, but he felt he knew.

Over to the side stood Headmaster Ozpin, and Professors Goodwitch and Taupe. The headmaster holding a white coffee mug in his hand, while Professor Goodwitch held a scroll, and Professor Taupe had her arms held behind her back. Professor Taupe's head swiveling back and forth as she observed the first-years from behind her mask. Several, notably human and faunus, first-years flinched when they came under the gaze of the gorgon professor.

All that aside, the first-years stood at attention as Headmaster Ozpin began to speak. His voice steady and calm, but serious at the same time. "For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams.'" Professor Goodwitch stepped in to speak. Everyone amongst the first-years perked up when she mentioned the word 'teams'. Finally, they learn how they would be determined. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates today."

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Ozpin continued speaking.

 _'So, we can choose who we're partnered with? There has to be a catch to all this.'_ Faen pondered. If he could, he'd choose Grey to be his partner. They'd been together for over a decade, he and Grey would work well as a pair.

Ozpin wasn't done speaking however, for as Faen ran a dozen ideas of what was going to happen through his mind and how to get Grey to be his partner, the Headmaster spoke again. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

 _'What? You must be joking!'_ Faen could not understand how such a process could possibly be deemed a viable method of partner selection. Somewhere in the line of first-years, Faen heard someone with a high-pitched voice exclaim in shock. A few others murmured to themselves about something, but Faen was too focused on his own thoughts and Ozpin to listen in on what they were saying. _'What the fu-!'_

Faen's thoughts were broken when Ozpin spoke some more. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die."

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Faen thought he heard someone speak up, but the Headmaster ignored them and loudly said. "Good! Now, take your positions."

Grey turned his head and shared a look with Grey. Conveying his disapproval of this entire process through their shared gaze, but he might have let out more than he was willing. For Grey chuckled at him shook her head, before turning to face forward.

With a heavy sigh, Faen looked away from Grey and towards the far horizon. Though, he took a moment to glance his eyes towards the Headmaster and send him a murderous look. The sound of mechanisms clicking, followed by the sounds of people to his left being thrown into the air soon became increasingly audible. Glancing to his left, he saw the metal plates on the ground launch first-years one-by-one towards the air above the Emerald Forest.

The line of first-years was getting shorter and shorter, and it would soon be Grey's, then his turn to get launched towards the forest below.

Flexing his fingers and taking a deep breath, Faen prepared himself. Shifting his feet slightly so his left was ahead of his right with his knees slightly bent. Hearing the student standing to Grey's left get sent into the air, Faen thought to himself one last time before it was his turn. _'This is a pile of bullsh-!'_

Before he could finish that thought, the plate under Faen clicked, and he was flung into the air.

Initiation had officially begun.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 done. Chapter 3 is going to have some action in it.**

 **I do not know when that chapter will be out, but I will start work on it after I've updated my other fanfic.**

 **No 'A Guide to Demi-Humans' this chapter. I'll only do that when a demi-human character has been named.**

 **The 'olgoi-khorkhoi' mentioned by Yang is the Mongolian Death Worm. They are a 60cm to 1.5 metre (2 to 5 feet) long worm that lives underground in the Gobi desert, and can kill people by spraying venom or shoot some kind of electric discharge. Look it up. In my opinion it would be a great idea for a Grimm type that lives in the deserts of Vacuo.**

 **Anyway, hope you all do well at whatever it is that you do. And, I may as well say it despite how late it is, have a happy New Year,**


	3. Initiation Part 1

**Initiation Part 1**

Getting launched off a cliff and thrown into a forest full of Grimm is not really how most people start their days. Most people were not first-years taking part in Initiation for a Huntsman Academy.

Falling from the sky above the Emerald Forest, the elf, Faen, had orientated himself. As he descended towards the trees below him, Faen took a moment to mentally snarl.

 _'I hope a bird takes a drops a turd in Ozpin's coffee!'_

Now, however, was not to time to sling curses at people. He was falling towards the tree tops of the Emerald Forest. If he didn't want to lose half of his Aura from the impact of crashing onto the forest floor, he needed to act fast.

His right hand shooting towards the grip of his sabre, Gwaedh, Faen pulled the sword out from its scabbard and prepared his 'landing strategy'.

As he reached the top of the trees, Faen slashed Gwaedh downwards, parting leaves as well as whatever branches were in his way. As the blade of his sabre reached the end of its downward arc, he turned his sword hand and slashed upwards, cutting through more leaves and branches. The elf was amongst the trees now. Another branch that was in his way was cut in twain before his stomach collided with it.

Faen's eyes caught sight of a thick branch a small distance below him. He estimated that it was strong enough to support his weight, and it would be just in reach of his hand if he kept falling. Taking a risk, as he neared the branch, his arm shot out and caught hold of the branch. For a moment, it seemed that he might lose his grip, but Faen sheathed his sabre and, with both arms and all the strength he could muster, pulled himself onto the branch.

He had been right, the branch was strong enough to support him. Though, he doubted this stroke of good fortune would last for too long. Looking down to the forest floor below, he guessed that he was roughly 15 to 20 metres (49 to 65 feet) above the ground. He had stopped himself from splattering all over the forest floor, now he had to find a way to get down there with minimal amounts of loss to his Aura.

Surveying the area around him, the elf quickly planned out his path down to the forest floor below him. Looking on the trunks of the tree he was on and the trees around him, he saw that there were no other branches. Or at least, branches that would support his weight like the one he stood on. He would have to settle with leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk until he reached the floor.

Stomaching any doubts and fears he had of this not working, Faen leapt from the tree branch he was on and towards the tree closest to him. The sole of his right boot connected with the other tree's trunk, and he immediately pounced from it to that of the tree he had been on. Once he reached the trunk of that tree, he jumped from it to the other tree again. He repeated this two more times until he was close enough to the forest floor that he let himself safely land feet first on the ground.

"That worked," Faen mumbled to himself. Dusting his clothes off as he spoke.

He might have to refine it a little, but, like he had said, it had worked. Now on the forest floor, Faen cautiously searched his immediate surroundings, a hand on the grip of his sheathed sabre. Seeing he was alone, Faen thought to himself.

 _'Alone. Alone in a forest full of Grimm, and the only help I could get are from a bunch of adolescent demi-humans and humans.'_

He did not like it. But, he was here now, and this was the situation he was now stuck in, so what could he do but move forwards?

"Please let me be partnered with Grey," Faen said to no one in particular. Taking a guess, the elf started to walk towards the direction he believed the temple was. He'd lost track of Grey whilst on the way down, so he had no idea where she could be. Hopefully, she was looking for him.

As he silently walked under the tall branches of the Emerald Forest's trees, Faen remained alert for any movement his eyes could detect. Any sound his pointed-ears could hear. Any scent that seemed out of place in such a place of soil, leaf, grass, and bark.

Nothing. The scent of other first-years and Grimm was absent from his immediate area. No footfalls apart from his own. And no other living creature fell under the gaze of his white-coloured eyes. But his guard remained up.

Just because you could not sense anything did not mean there was nothing.

It was one of the first lessons he had been taught by his Mentors back in Vigil. A Martial School back in Avalon, the rough equivalent of the Combat Academies used by the Humans to train their warriors. The Demi-Human Enclaves had no Huntsmen Academy of their own, the absence of such academies part of the reason he had gone to Beacon.

It was then that he heard the sound of a distant gunshot echo from the distance. Faen froze where he stood, and his right hand reached for the grip of his sabre, but stopped just as his fingers were about to touch the grip's leather wrappings. The gunshots sounded far from him, but not too far away that he should not be concerned. Three more gunshots rang through the air, Faen turned to the source, somewhere to the left of him and waited to hear more before doing anything.

Five seconds passed and he remained standing there. After ten had passed, Faen resumed walking in the direction he had been headed before he heard the gunshots.

It seemed someone had encountered some Grimm already. Whether or not they had successfully killed the beast or beasts, he could not say, and carried on walking without a second thought on the matter. It had been a person wielding a firearm. Grey carried no such weapon, as such, seeking out whoever had discharged their weapon did not interest him.

As he walked on, Faen considered his options. He wanted Grey as his partner, he could barely imagine being partnered with anyone else, nor being in a team that did not have her in it. But Fate was a fickle and cruel thing, and what were his realistic chances of getting partnered with his longtime friend? If he could not have Grey be his partner, he had to think on who else could be a viable partner for him.

There was Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long.

Ruby, to be honest, was nice. She was friendly to him, and had stood beside him when that tall, mace-wielding human insulted him. She was apparently skilled enough, or had done something that proved her worthy of being admitted into Beacon two years before the norm. But, she was childish, and he secretly questioned whether or not she was truly ready for Beacon.

Her sister was a different story. Yang had graduated from her Combat Academy, thus, she was worthy of a place in Beacon. She reminded him of Grey, in the way that they energetic and carefree, they liked to joke and teased him to hell, and she appeared to be as physically strong as Grey. But therein lay the problem, he did not want to have to deal with a second Grey on a daily-basis.

He would rather be drink a litre of poison than be paired with the human that he had insulted him and Grey.

The other human male, Jaune Arc, if he remembered his name accurately. He was not a _terrible_ choice for a partner, yet, he was not a good choice in Faen's opinion. The human boy just seemed rather simple and goofy to Faen. Yet, he appeared to mean well, and acted kindly to Faen and Grey when they first met. Maybe he was worth more than he appeared. Still, Faen did not want Jaune as a partner.

Others he could partner up with were the Vampire, and that bow-wearing girl he had seen in the cafeteria. Thing is, he did not know them. So, he could not guess just what it could be like to be partners with either of them.

 _'Ugh, please. If I have to be partnered with anyone other than Grey. At least make it someone I know, and I am on decent terms with. Or even a Demi-Human,'_ Faen mentally begged to Fate and whatever deity watched over him. At least with a demi-human, it would be only slightly less awkward for him to interact with them.

An explosion boomed through the forest air from somewhere in the distance. Faen looked around, trying to determine where exactly it came from. He guessed it was somewhere ahead of him.

Explosives. Either someone was being overkill, were facing a horde of Grimm, or had encountered a massive Grimm. Once again, it was not Grey, so he altered his course so that he could swerve around wherever the explosion had come from. Whoever was behind it must have moved on by the time he got near where the explosion happened, but he wanted to be sure that he did not get partnered with whoever caused that explosion.

Faen stopped where he stood. He had heard the slow footfall of heavy feet and the low predatory growl somewhere in the trees to his left. Faen did not turn his head towards the direction of the creature, but steadily moved his right hand to the grip of his sabre. The creature moved forwards, getting closer and closer, but then, Faen heard the same noises coming from his right and behind him.

A pack of Grimm. Possibly five or six individual Beowolves. No Alpha if his hearing was correct.

A chance for combat, at long last. Faen steadied his breathing.

Once his hand clasped around Gwaedh'sgrip, that was when the Grimm leapt forth from the trees. In a flash of silvered steel, Faen pulled Gwaedh free from its scabbard, spun round, and leapt backwards. Where he had once been, two Beowolves lunged at the now empty air with their razor-sharp claws. His feet back on the ground, he quickly examined his opponents and their number.

There were the two Beowolves that had attacked him, coming at him from his left were two more.

A fifth Beowolf hung back slightly, meeting his gaze with its hateful glowing red and yellow eyes. It was slightly larger than its packmates. A scar left behind by what Faen guessed to be a bladed weapon marked its bone-like mask, and a noticeable limp to its gait. It's injuries most probably earned from a run-in with Huntsmen, Kingdom defence militia, armed villagers and travelers, or even bandits. That one, that one was older than the others. How much older, Faen could not say, but it was clearly the most dangerous of the Grimm he was facing right now.

A roar from one of the younger Beowolves fast approaching him from his left alerted him that it was prepared to strike. Sure enough, a Beowolf had launched itself from the ground with both of its powerful hind legs, its right arm raised, and teeth-filled mouth open. Faen rose his left arm, his wrist-bow loaded and aimed at the beast. With a crack, a bolt flew from the wrist-bow, and sunk itself into the Beowolf's left shoulder.

Faen was moving the moment the bolt had exited the barrel. Rolling forwards underneath the Beowulf he had shot, he got back onto his feet and charged towards the three other young Beowolves. The Beowolf behind the one he had shot at attacked him first. Swiping at him with its clawed left hand. The elf ducked underneath the attack and slashed his sword at its left flank, the blade tearing through its pitch-black flesh. Rising, Faen turned and brought Gwaedh down in a diagonal strike that cut through the flesh of the Beowolf's right shoulder and above its left hip. Most likely killing the beast.

The two Beowolves that had first attacked now lunged at him again. In the background, the older Beowolf was circling around Faen and the other Beowolves, waiting for its moment as it disappeared and reappeared from behind the trunks of the trees around them.

Turning to face them, Faen sidestepped the one to his left, and thrust the sharp tip of _Gwaedh's_ curved blade through the other Beowolf's chest. He let go of Gwaedh'sgrip, and quickly circled around the Beowolf he had stabbed. His right hand shooting over his shoulder, Faen pulled Aglar from its sheathe and cut the Grimm's head off of it's shoulders with a single swing.

The older Beowolf's eyes narrowed as it looked on as another of its packmates was cut down. It had stopped its circling, and stood a small distance away from the fight.

Faen was not blind to what it was doing, and tried to keep it in his sights. Something that was hard to do when you consider the fact that Faen was fighting two other ferocious opponents.

The headless body of the Beowolf he had just slain collapsed onto the floor, joining the Beowolf he had slashed and cut. Faen was able to pull Gwaedh free from the headless Beowolf's chest before it fell and quickly slid it back into its scabbard. The bodies of the two slain Beowolves starting to evaporate. The Beowolf he had sidestepped leapt over the body of its fallen kin and swiped at him. Faen dodged right, but the Beowolf's claws were fast enough that they were able to catch his upper arm, his Aura thankfully protecting him from injury.

"Fu-!" Faen began to swear. But stopped when he saw the Beowolf he had shot with his wrist-bow came bounding towards him, the bolt still stuck in its shoulder.

Thinking fast, Faen pointed the tip of Aglar's blade towards the approaching Grimm, and pulled a trigger underneath his secondary sword's hilt. As he did, Aglar's grip transformed into a 1.8 metre (5.9 feet) long spear haft. Aglar's leaf-shaped blade shot forward, and stabbed through the Beowolf's mouth and out the back of its skull. The moment of satisfaction Faen felt when he saw Aglar's blade bursting out the Beowolf, was interrupted when he heard the last of the younger Beowolves approaching him.

Pressing a switch, Aglar returned to its sword-form. Turning, Faen stabbed the sword towards where he guessed the Grimm's chest would be. He missed, and Aglar's blade just grazed the left side of the Beowolf's chest. The Beowolf snarled at him and struck him in his exposed chest with a wild strike from the Grimm's right hand, knocking the elf away.

Faen clenched his teeth tightly underneath his mask, and quickly stabilised his footing. His eyes solely focused on the young Beowolf, Faen could not see the older Beowolf approaching him from the side. He could, however, hear it. It's rapid, heavy footfalls thundering closer towards him. Glancing his eyes to his left, Faen could see the older Beowolf about to launch itself from the ground and pounce at him. And a split second, it had, its powerful hindlegs helping the beast jump towards him from four metres (13 feet) away.

Acting quickly, Faen used his right arm to sheathe Aglar, and his left hand to unsheathe Gwaedh. As he did this, he stepped out of the way of the older Beowolf's leap, spun his body around and, taking hold of Gwaedh's grip with both hands, brought it down in a vertical swing of steel. Gwaedh's steel blade met the Beowolf's dark flesh as a flash of silver, cutting through it like a knife through butter. Faen overestimated how far the Beowolf had leapt, and, instead of cutting the Beowolf in half at its midsection, the elf had cut off the Beowolf's right forearm at the elbow.

The older Beowolf's howl of pain tore through the air of the forest as its missing forearm fell to the floor. Faen's focus returned to the younger Grimm, which was now moving towards him, the beast ignoring the grievous injury he had inflicted on its elder packmate. The elf charged forward to meet the young Beowolf, his saber in hand. The young Beowolf swung its left arm at Faen's head, but the elf ducked under the beast's attack, and used the opportunity to slash Gwaedh's blade at the Beowolf's left knee. Gwaedh's curved blade dug deep, and severed the Beowolf's lower leg from its body. Losing balance, the Beowolf fell to the floor, crashing onto the forest floor with a heavy thud.

Ignoring the pain of its lost lower leg, the Beowolf tried to get onto its feet, but Faen stepped over the Grimm and rammed Gwaedh's blade into the top of the beast's skull and out its lower jaw. Killing the younger Grimm.

But Faen did not celebrate just yet, there was the older Grimm that remained. Alarm bells rang in his head the instant he realised he had lost sight of the creature. Pulling Gwaedh free from the Beowolf's skull, he turned and looked for the older Grimm, his sabre in hand and ready to react to whatever the beast was going to do.

He searched the immediate area around him, his eyes darting here and there as he looked for the older Beowolf. Try as he might, he could not find it. The beast was gone.

He raised his left arm, and aimed his wrist-bow in the spaces between the trees as he peered into the forest and continued looking for the older Beowolf. Was it hiding behind a tree? Faen examined the ground near where he guessed the Beowolf would land after its unsuccessful attack. The beast's arm lay on the ground, evaporating away. A noticeable trail of what passed for blood when it came to the Grimm was left on the forest floor and disappeared into the trees.

Faen tried to find the distinct wolf-like shape of a Beowolf behind the trees and even in the trees above him, as unlikely as the latter actually was. Faen could not see the older beast. Neither could he hear or smell it. It was gone.

Faen remained alert, his weapons drawn and ready, in the event that this was a ploy by the Beowolf to make him drop his guard. The elf stood there, waiting for an attacker that might not come. After what felt like an hour to him, Faen lowered his weapons. The Grimm was gone, it must have retreated as he slew the last member of its pack.

If Faen was being honest, he was surprised. He had heard of older Grimm retreating to live another day, but never had he actually seen it. That the older Beowolf had decided to retreat instead of continue fighting him spoke of its age and, though terribly injured, how deadly it could become.

Deciding that it was now time to move on, the elf sheathed Gwaedh and made to head off towards the temple. But, coming from behind him, Faen heard something approaching. His hand pulling Gwaedh from its sheathe again, Faen spun round to face whatever it was. It was not the Beowolf, nor was it more Grimm. It was a first-year. S _he_ was a first-year.

And to his initial displeasure, he had made direct eye contact with her.

The demi-human had an athletic figure and was slightly shorter than him. She had close-set crimson coloured eyes, thin eyebrows, and pale-white skin. Long, straight black hair fell past her shoulders, and down to the small of her back. She wore a crimson coloured, long-sleeved kimono jacket over a white shirt, and a black sash was tied around her midsection. Alongside that was a dark-red skirt, with dark stockings covering both her legs. A pair of tall fox-ears the same colour as her hair rose from the top of her head, and five bushy tails of the same colour sprouted from her rear. Tied at her side was a sheathed nagamaki, a katana-like sword with a 60cm (23.6 inches) blade and a handle of equal length as the sword's blade.

There was no point trying to pretend he had not made eye-contact with her. The demi-human's lips formed into a small smile, and walked purposefully towards him.

She was about three metres (9.8 feet) away from him. He found this odd because he believed he should have surely noticed her approaching him sooner than that. It was a hard thing to sneak up on an elf, and in Faen's eyes, anyone capable of such a thing was someone to keep an eye or two on.

"Oh my. Is this _your_ handiwork?" The dem-human first-year asked him. Faen looked to the evaporating Grimm corpses between him and the fellow first year, and nodded in response.

"Good job," the female demi-human complimented Faen. "My name is Odori Akagi. Though, I'd prefer it if you just called me Akagi. I'm a Kitsune, and you are?"

"Faen Tatharion. Elf," Faen replied.

"Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you. Faen. Shall we be on our way, teammate?" Akagi said to him, extending a hand in greeting. Faen did not take it immediately, looking on Akagi and her outstretched hand for a couple seconds, before finally returning the gesture and shook her hand. Saying to the kitsune as he did so.

"Of course, teammate."

* * *

Back at the top of Beacon Cliff, the two Professors and the Headmaster of Beacon watched each pair come together through camera feeds on their scrolls.

"That is another pair formed. Faen Tatharion and Odori Akagi. An elf and a fox-spirit, an intriguing collection of students this year, Headmaster. They always seem to get more and more interesting every year," Professor Taupe remarked. On the screen of her tablet, she eyed the recently formed pair of Faen and Akagi walk further into the Emerald Forest.

"Well, I know how bored you get, Kallisto. So, I try to make every year more interesting than the last. Just for you," the Headmaster replied, a tinge of humour in his voice. His eyes never leaving the screen of the tablet in his hand. "How about you, Glynda? Is there anything interesting you wish to contribute?"

The blonde-haired Beacon Professor glanced from her scroll's screen towards Ozpin before looking back at the scroll, and then lowered her hands. Professor Goodwitch going on to say to Ozpin, in her usual stern voice.

"The last pair has just been formed. Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. How those two will fare together I have no idea, but I suppose Mr Ren will do better than Ms Nikos." On Professor Goodwitch's scroll was a live image of a boy with black hair with a streak of pink, and a girl with orange hair hanging upside down from a tree. There was another feed showing Jaune and Pyrrha walking through the forest. At Goodwitch's words, the gorgon professor flicked through a few camera feeds until she found a feed showing Jaune and Pyrrha.

Behind the eyeholes of her clay mask, Taupe's cyan eyes focused on the two first-years. Two of the snakes on her head flanked her masked face and hissed something to her, Taupe shrugged at them once they were done. Ozpin and Goodwitch did not spare her a glance whilst Taupe did this.

The gorgon would openly 'consult' a couple of the snakes on her head whenever she was deliberating on something, be it on the scheduling of classes to even what to wear at times. No one in Beacon knew what the snakes said, since no one in the Academy was an expert linguist on snake-ese. It was weird at first, but people quickly got used to it.

"We will just have to see," Professor Taupe said, most likely to the snakes on her head than the two humans who stood at the cliff with her. Taking a moment to look towards Ozpin, she saw that the older man was focused on a feed showing a red-hooded girl and a girl in a white dress. She had been working at Beacon for the last five years, but she could never tell what Ozpin was thinking. The man knew how to put on a mask over his emotions and thoughts, and coming from someone who lived with people who wore literal masks all their lives, that was quite the statement to make.

The professor looked away from Ozpin and back to her scroll. If Ozpin wanted to hide something, there was almost no way to get him to reveal whatever it was unless _he_ wanted it to. And besides, she had other things to worry about. She was a teacher after all, and she would be teaching these students soon enough.

Hopefully Port had securely caged the Grimm as she had asked him to. She hated having to cancel her classes because of how easily the Grimm could expire.

* * *

Back with Faen and Akagi, the pair were making their way through the Emerald Forest. They had encountered a few Grimm, mostly Beowolf packs, a couple flocks of young Nevermores, and even an Ursa Minor, but they were dispatched without too much hassle. During all that, the two spoke to each other, though, it was Akagi that usually initiated these conversations.

"So Faen, where are you from?" Akagi asked as Faen pulled Gwaedh from the throat of a now dying Beowolf. The kitsune was leaning against a tree, her nagamaki held in her right hand. "I am from Shangri-La."

"The Island of Avalon," Faen replied as he slid Gwaedh back into its sheathe and began to walk towards her. "Selene. A town outside of the City of Avalon built a century before the Great War."

"What is it like?" the kitsune continued to ask him. The girl pushing herself off the tree she was leaning on and walked up beside him as they headed further in the direction of the temple.

"Can't say much about it. An old walled settlement built by ogres, though, I heard a bunch of centaurs once argue that their people built it. It's quiet most of the time, we keep to ourselves and look after our own."

"Sounds like a nice place," Akagi remarked as passed through a couple of broken trees. They had found several others like them, it was as if a massive beast had wildly torn its way through the forest. The sight of these trees in such ruined states made the two wary as they walked and talked to each other.

"How about you? What's Shangri-La like?" Faen asked Akagi. The kistune's face beamed at the question, and quickly responded to him.

"It's nice. A thriving city in a wide, beautiful valley in the western end of Anima's northern mountains. It can get cold, especially when it snows at winter, but our lives are peaceful enough."

"Sounds lovely," Faen spoke, digesting every ounce of information Akagi told him.

Faen would not normally be this open to anyone he just recently came to know, but Akagi was going to be his partner and teammate for the next four years. So, he surmised that it was in his best interest to get to know her as best as he could. The two demi-humans had spoken of other subjects as they walked through the forest. Faen introduced his weapons; Gwaedh, Aglar, and his wrist bow to Akagi. While Akagi showed her weapons; her nagamaki, Divine Omen, which could be split into a regular katana and one smaller sword. She also revealed that she hid a pair of pistols up her long-sleeves, how she kept them up there, he did not bother asking.

The elf had tried to gauge Akagi's character as they moved towards their objective. From the way she carried herself as she walked, the way she fought, and how she interacted with him. So far, through his observations of her, he judged Akagi self-confident, civil, her combat skill he estimated to be near enough equal to his own, and he even began to find her presence to be pleasant. Yet, a part of him told Faen to maintain his reserved persona while around her, at least, for now. They had just met, so there was no telling if whether or not his assessment of Akagi was correct.

He had heard of Kitsunes, or Fox-Spirits, in passing back in Vigil. He had never looked into what exactly they were back then, the only thing he knew until he met Akagi was that they had the tails and ears of foxes. To relieve himself of his ignorance, Faen had decided to do some research on her kind after Initiation.

The matter of how Akagi was able to approach him without him noticing her earlier than he did still persisted in his mind. Was it the work of her Semblance? They had not yet talked about each other's Semblances. Well, that was another thing to add to the list of things he would need to know about her.

"If you don't mind me asking. I saw you with a grey-haired werewolf back in the locker room. You two seemed close, is she a friend? Or something more?" Akagi's question was unexpected, but not one that Faen was unprepared to answer. Others before her had asked him similar questions.

"We're friends," this was not the first time Faen had answered such a question. "First met her when I moved into Selene."

Akagi dropped the subject and the two continued walking towards the temple.

The elf's mind wandered to Grey, his long-time friend. He wondered where she was and, though he would not admit it even to himself, felt ever so slightly worried for her. But Faen quickly snuffed that worry out, he was certain Grey could take care of herself. This was the girl who had beaten a minotaur who was larger and stronger than her back in Vigil, and, he knew this from personal experience, was more persistent than a bad rash. Grey would be able to make her way to the temple just fine, with a partner or without one.

As they walked, the two came across a dead trio of Beowolves. Judging from how their corpses were still rather whole as they evaporated, they must be fresh kills. And from their wounds, two had been killed by a bladed weapon, while the third was killed by what was either a very strong punch to their face or it collided with a concrete wall at terminal velocity. It seemed that someone or someones had passed through here rather recently.

The two demi-humans heard several gunshots in the distance, not too far from them. Deciding to follow the sound, the two demi-humans found another pair of first-years surrounded by dead Grimm. Faen knew these first-years, for one was Yang, Ruby's older sister who he met back in the cafeteria, and the bow wearing girl he had also seen in the cafeteria.

"Hey there, Faen!" Yang called out to him when she noticed him and Akagi approach. "Was wondering whether I'd see you again."

"Yang," Faen greeted her in return. Glancing towards Yang's wrists he saw she wore a pair of bright yellow bracelets, those must be her weapons. The bow wearing girl had a weapon with a large cleaver-like blade at her back.

"Oh, you two know each other?" Akagi jumped in with a question, her ears perked up in interest.

"Akagi meet Yang Xiao Long, we first met each other in Beacon's cafeteria. Yang meet Odori Akagi, but she prefers to be called by her surname," Faen introduced the kitsune and blonde human to each other. He then focused on the bow wearing girl who stood beside Yang, and said to her. "And you are?"

"Blake Belladonna," the bow wearing girl introduced herself to him. The girl now had a name, and now he could stop calling her 'bow wearing girl'. "You can just call me Blake."

Faen nodded his head once in acknowledgement. "Faen Tatharion. Come on, we can't be far from the temple or whatever it is that Ozpin wants us to go."

With that, Faen walked past Yang and Blake, Akagi following closely after him with the other pair following suit. The four did not have far to go, for after a couple minutes of walking, the group exited the trees and entered a large open clearing with a ruined stone rotunda residing within it. Far off they could see a larger, more grander set of ruins. But it was the circular ruins that interested them, for there appeared to be objects there that were out of place in such an ancient location.

Walking up to the stone rotunda, they saw that there were several black and gold chess pieces on pedestals. A few of the pedestals were empty, indicating that they were not the first ones here. Together the two pairs walked up to the pedestals and examined them closely.

Faen could hear Yang and Blake quickly discuss between themselves which of the chess pieces, or 'relics' as the Headmaster referred to them as, they would take. He observed that the black bishops, the gold kings, a gold pawn, and a queen of each colour had been taken. All the others were up for grabs.

Hesitating, Faen walked between the pedestals, examining each one he passed by. Finding he could not decide, Faen turned to Akagi for her opinion, but found that he did not need to. For she had already picked up one of the chess black knight.

Akagi looked towards him showing the black knight piece in her hand, wordlessly questioning whether he approved or not. They needed a relic and Akagi had picked one, so Faen decided that was good enough and nodded to her. The kitsune immediately stuffed the relic somewhere inside her jacket. Everything seemed fine so far, now all they had to do was head back to Beacon Cliff, and they would be out of this beautiful but dangerous forest.

And that was when things got wierd.

Faen and Akagi began to hear something from the distance, the kitsune's ears perking up at this. Blake seemed to notice the sound as well, though Yang appeared to be unaware. The three looked around in search of where the noise, which they realised was a person's voice as it got closer, came from. It was Akagi and Blake who realised the person's voice was coming from right above them. Looking up, all four looked skywards and saw Ruby falling towards them.

"What the-?" Faen started to utter. But, he was interrupted when he saw Jaune, from out of nowhere, collide with Ruby midair. Both humans crashing into a tree.

"That was... unexpected," Blake awkwardly said. "And wasn't that your sister, Yang?"

"Wait, where did she come from?" Akagi asked, looking up at the sky for her answer.

"I-" Yang began, but was interrupted by a new arrival.

Over by the trees, a large Ursa came crashing through the trees, roaring and flailing its arms about wildly. Faen had his hand on Gwaedh's grip and was about to draw the sabre from its scabbard when a pink explosion blasted its back, the Grimm falling with a loud thud. The person responsible was revealed to be that orange-haired girl he saw back in the cafeteria, with her was the boy with that streak of pink in his hair. The pair getting off the Ursa's back.

Had the girl and boy ridden that Ursa here?

The orange-haired girl darted towards the temple ruins faster than the group's eyes could track, and picked up the gold rook, and began to jovially sing to herself. Her partner called out to her, apparently her name was Nora, and she immediately responded and skipped off towards the boy, whose name was Ren.

Faen, Akagi, Yang, and Blake, all of them having watched all that play out, were dumbfounded. Under his mask, Faen's mouth was opened as if to speak, but the elf could not find words to describe what he saw. That was odder than anything he had seen Grey pull off.

"She... rode an Ursa?" Akagi questioned.

"I..." Yang tried to say something a second time. Faen did not want to stay any longer then they already had and whispered into one of Akagi's fox ears.

"Let's just go. We have our relic," he said to her. His fellow demi-human nodded in agreement, and the two started to walk back to the forest. The others could take care of themselves, they had gotten here on their own in one piece, surely they could get to Beacon Cliff without him or Akagi. And that was at that very moment that Fate decided it was ample time to plunge a dagger into his gut. Faen and Akagi had only walked a short distance away from the temple when they saw Pyrrha Nikos come running out of the trees, a _giant_ Death Stalker snapping its pincers at her heels.

 _'Blood of the gods. You've got to be kidding me.'_ Faen mentally complained. The damn thing was the largest Grimm he had personally seen in his entire life, and killing it would be no easy task.

Fate now decided to turn the turn the dagger, and make things even worse then they already were.

Faen and Akagi noticed something was disturbing the trees to their left. Something large. Moments later, Grey and another demi-human come running out of the woods.

As they were about halfway behind them and the forest, a quadrupedal Grimm as tall as a two-storey house with a body resembling a large Komodo Dragon, with six long serpentine necks sprouting from its body. Each neck ended with a long head like that of snake, noxious vapours spilling from each mouth. The white skull-like mask found on all Grimm was over its six faces, while spines protruded from the back of its main body and the back of its several necks. It was a damn Hydra!

Fate decided to ramp things up a notch, and things got from worse to absolutely terrible.

For Faen and Akagi noticed the shadow a giant avian beast fall on the clearing. Sparing a moment to look up as they retreated back to the others at the rotunda, Faen saw a giant Nevermore fly overhead before letting out an earsplitting caw. The two demi-humans looked back down to the ground to see Jaune fall flat on the floor, with Weiss falling onto his back. How that happened, Faen did not have the time to ponder on or even cared at all about it.

Looking back the three large Grimm, Faen found he could only whisper three words to describe his current situation.

"We're so screwed."

* * *

 **Right, that is the third chapter done. Next chapter, we will see the end of Initiation, and get introduced to Grey's teammate.**

 **Odori Akagi: Odori means _'Dance'_ in Japanese. The name Akagi has about four possible translations, the translation I'm using for the OC's name is 'crimson'.**

* * *

 _A Guide to Demi-Humans by David Silver_

 _Demi-Human Martial Schools_ _: Though Demi-Humans have joined the public stage, their Enclaves are still rather slow to change and accept outside influences. For example, though all the Kingdoms have constructed Combat Academies and the even more prestigious Huntsmen Academies, such institutions do not exist in the Demi-Human Enclaves. Even if they do, they are structured and organised in a way that sets them apart from those of the Kingdoms. A large majority follow a curriculum and training regimes laid down by the Martial School's Chief Mentor. A Mentor being the equivalent of a Professor, while a Chief Mentor is the equivalent of a Headmaster._

 _Fox-Spirits:_ _Fox spirits, known in several different cultural regions as;_ _Huli jing_ , _Kitsune_ , and _Kumiho_ , _are a demi-human race almot exclusively found in the Enclaves found on the continent of Anima. The most notable Enclave being Shangri-La, where there is a noticeable fox-spirit population in the city._ _Fox-spirits are easily recognisable by the pair of fox ears atop their heads, and a varied number of fox tails above their rear._

 _Fox-spirits are both respected and distrusted by the Enclaves of Anima. This is attributed to when the city of Shangri-La fell into a state of chaos when a fox-spirit known as 'Daji' usuped power in the city and weakened the Enclave with her countless decadent pursuits._


	4. Initiation Part 2

**Author's Note:**

 **Well, it has been a while since I updated this. For those who waited, here you.**

 **Sorry this took a while to write. I was writing a lengthy chapter from my other fanfic that took a while to finish. That and because I suffered from a bit of writer's block for this story, and had to help clean and repaint the home's walls for a few days, leaving me without access to my computer throughout most of that time.**

 **One last thing, I changed the blade length of Faen's dao/saber to 73 cm (around 29 inches) after I realised how long the original length was, and how long the blade of an actual liuyedao is. Not a very important thing to tell you, I just felt lke I needed to let you readers know.**

 **Anyway, enough dilly-dallying. Here is a new chapter of 'Demi-Human Students of Beacon'.**

* * *

 **Initiation Part 2**

"This is unfortunate," Professor Kallisto Taupe remarked as she watched the events at the Emerald Forest on her Scroll. A Death Stalker, a Hydra, and Nevermore. Taupe was not aware that either of the creatures lived in the Emerald Forest. The first-years would have a hard time killing even one of them.

In the back of her mind, a part of Taupe urged her to go into the forest and aid the students. But, like the years before, the gorgon restrained herself. Ozpin was clear, the instructors would not intervene, so, she would not assist the first-years in any way whatsoever. It was hard, but it was the rules, and Initiation was a test of the students' abilities.

And this was a good, though dangerous, way to test the students' capabilities.

Glancing over to Ozpin, Taupe saw that he was keenly watching the group as they ran from the three Grimm. He was probably thinking up all kinds of ridiculous name for the teams he would put together. Returning her attention to the events happening in the Emerald Forest, she saw that the group of first-years were heading towards the old ruins.

With three large Grimm pursuing them, Taupe wondered just how the group would come out of this, and in what condition. Changing between different cameras, she planned to see just that.

* * *

 _'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.'_ These words were repeated over and over again in Faen's mind as he ran alongside the humans and his fellow demi-humans. Behind him, he could hear the stomping feet of the Death Stalker and the Hydra in the distance, while above him, the flap of the Nevermore's immense wings could be heard.

If it had just been the Death Stalker, he would have stood his ground and fought it.

If it had just been the Hydra, he would have stood his ground and fought it.

If it had been the Nevermore, he would have stood his ground and fought it.

But all three previously mentioned Grimm were here together, and were mercilessly pursuing him and the others. He disliked the idea of retreating from Grimm, if Gwaedh were capable of speech, Faen was certain it would scream and curse at him for turning his back to the beasts. But, even he knew when to withdraw from a fight when necessary. A fight between three such large Grimm was a fight _he_ could not win.

Not alone. Not yet at least.

So he decided to follow the others, strength in numbers and all that.

They had just burst out from the forest and came across a much larger set of ruins that the rotunda must have been a part of once, or at least, was related to it somehow. As Faen ran and looked on the ruins, he had to admit that whatever people had built it might have been a clever people. The larger ruins consisted of a complex of tall buildings and towers connected together by a network of bridges, all of it made of stone and built against a cliff. Again, might have been a smart people.

They were dead, and whatever realm this had been was gone, so he could not say.

Thoughts on the impressiveness of architecture and personal thoughts on those who came before aside, there were Grimm behind him. Grimm that wanted to tear him limb from limb, so he needed to focus on the here and now.

They had left the forest behind and were now in amongst the ruins. The Nevermore was turning to make another pass above them, it had lost them in the trees, but it surely see them if they remained in the open like this. Without a word, all twelve of them ran to some of the ruins and hid beneath it. The Nevermore did not circle around towards them, but decided to land atop the tallest point of the ruins, a tower that neared the top of the cliffs behind it.

Faen had taken up a position behind a ruined column, beside him was Akagi. At the column behind his was Grey and her partner.

Speaking of Grey's partner, Faen glanced over at him and quickly examined the demi-human. How could Faen tell that he was a demi-human? It was because his head was not connected to his body at all, it was hanging at his belt, but the body was still capable of moving despite that.

Grey's partner had sleek, swept-back black hair with a single long strand of hair going over his face, orange eyes, and pale skin. He wore a form-fitting black leather jacket over an orange shirt, a tattered orange scarf with a skull design printed on it, dark pants, and black riding boots. Around his waist he wore two belts, one for carrying his head, and the other for some extra pouches and to carry his weapon. Speaking of his weapon, in his left hand was a bladed whip that could turn into a straightsword, with a chamber of Dust at the top of the grip.

He had been able to introduce himself to Faen as Friesian Bones in the couple of seconds they had ran side-by-side in the forest. Before they could get to know each other more, the two were rudely interrupted by the Hydra.

Faen was not sure _what_ Friesian was. It secretly freaked him out whenever he looked at the headless body standing next to the Grey. He would find out what kind of dem-human Friesian was _if_ they got out of here.

"This is bad," Akagi whispered to him as she checked the magazine clip she had loaded into one of her pistols.

"Stuck between death by razor-sharp feathers and being pecked to death. And death by being stabbed by a giant stinger, or being torn apart by six different heads with bad breath problems mercilessly chopping on you. Yeah, this is bad." Faen said, surmising the different ways that he and the rest of the first-years die.

"I said this is bad. But we're not going to die here," Akagi quickly responded to him. The elf spared a quick, skeptical glance directed at Akagi, unsure whether or not she actually believed in her own words. He did not mean to be so critical or pessimistic about things, it was just the first thing that came to his mind when it came to such situations.

Before more could be said or done, they were interrupted when the Nevermore let out a loud, terrifying shriek.

"How the hell are we getting past-?" Faen stopped when he heard several trees getting smashed aside. Knowing just what had happened, but taking a moment to look anyway, Faen looked to the trees that the first-years had just left and saw the Death Stalker come crashing through the trees, the Hydra close behind it. "Motherfu-"

The others noticed the two Grimm as well, and they were already running away from the two Grimm.

 _'More running. Wonderful,'_ Faen internally grumbled to himself as he set off after the other first-years.

As the four demi-humans broke from cover and tried to follow after the human first-years, a burst of noxious and sickly green smoke shot in front of the demi-humans. Cutting the four of them off from the others. Looking to the source of the smoke, Faen and the three demi-humans saw the Hydra bearing down on them, its six heads hissing and snapping their jaws at them as it drew closer.

"Well, shoot." Friesian dryly remarked, as he tried to do something with the Dust canister fixed to the handle of his bladed-whip. Whatever he was doing, he had better do it fast.

"Okay. This things really wants to kill us," Grey said. She activated her weapon, and three claw-like blades sprung out from her gauntlets.

For some reason, Faen felt it was Grey and Friesian's fault that they were now cornered by the Hydra.

"What did you do to tick this thing off?" Akagi questioned Friesian and Grey, producing her other pistol from her sleeve and aiming the two firearms at the Hydra.

"We may or may not have tried to drop a tree on it," Grey replied with an awkward tone in her voice. Faen and Akagi looked at the other pair in disbelief, the slightly embarrassed looks on their faces told them that Grey was not lying. "Yeah, can we not talk about this now?"

The elf let out an annoyed groan and turned back to face the Hydra. He and Grey were going to have a serious talk once this was all over, alive or dead.

The Hydra was five metres (16.4 feet) away from them now, but two of its head shot forward and tried to snap their jaws around Friesian and Akagi. They dodged out to the side and out of the way of the Hydra's attack, but were quickly set upon by two more of the Hydra's heads. In response, Faen and Grey leapt forward and intercepted the Hydra's attack. Faen drew Gwaedh from its scabbard, and swung in a wide vertical slash as one of the Hydra's heads neared Friesian, cutting away at the right sight of the Hydra's head, sending it reeling back.

Taking a moment to quickly glance towards Grey, Faen saw the werewolf step in front of Akagi and punch one of her clawed gauntlets upwards, her blades cut empty air for the head that was about to attack Akagi was a feint and pulled back at the last moment. The head that had first attack Akagi turned towards the two and was about shoot a column of poisonous smoke at the two. The kitsune demi-human thought fast, and fired several fire Dust bullets from her pistols at the head and its opened mouth.

Faen did not see what happened next, for he refocused his attention on the three Hydra heads that were currently trying to tear him apart or swallow him whole. Both ends were _very_ unappealing to Faen, particularly since the Hydra's bad breath would be the last thing he'd smell if he suffered either of those deaths.

The two demi-humans, Faen and Friesian, steadily retreated backwards as they tried to fight off the three Hydra heads that confronted them. They were doing their best to avoid the Hydra's attacks, Faen slashing and stabbing Gwaedh at the Hydra's heads. Meanwhile, Friesian cracked and swung his bladed whip at them, occasionally changing his whip into its sword form to stab and hack at the Hydra's flesh.

As they fought, Faen could see Grey and Akagi fighting as well. Grey would sometimes try to lunge at the Hydra's main body, but the Grimm would use its sweeping claws to drive her back, twice was thd werewolf caught in a defensive swing of the Hydra's claws. Akagi was constantly moving, whether she was dual-wielding her pistols or fighting with her nagamaki, she was moving.

To his alarm, the Hydra was able to trap Grey between the jaws of one of its heads while the werewolf was distracted by another of the Hydra's heads. Faen's heart beat a mile a minute, and was about to rush over to Grey and save his friend, but he did not need to. Akagi drew her nagamaki, Divine Omen, leapt forward with assistance of her Aura, and seperated the Hydra head holding Grey from its neck with a downward swing of the sword's blade.

Grey scrambled free from the severed head's mouth, thanked Akagi, and got back into the fight. What relief the demi-humans felt was instantly replaced by distress when a new head grew from the stump of the neck the kitsune had cleaved her blade through in mere moments. Faen had read about the near rapid regenerative abilities possessed by the Hydra species of Grimm. To see it in real-life was actually horrifying.

They needed to end this fight, and quickly. Hastily thinking up a plan, one that he was unsure would even work, he set about trying to put it into action.

"Surround it!" Faen shouted to the others as he ducked when the Hydra swung one of its heads at him in an attempt to knock him off his feet.

"What?!" Friesian yelled back at Faen, the strange demi-human jumping to the side as a head attempted to bite him again. The elf then saw the tail of Friesian's whip crackle with electricity, and when it lashed against the flesh of one of the Hydra's necks, the head that it connected to let out a pained screech.

"Two-" Faen started to say, but was interrupted when one of the Hydra's head dove down at him and tried to swallow him whole. Dodging to the side, the elf then thrust the tip of his dao into the right eye of the head until the blade was halfway into it. The Grimm recoiled its head so quickly and with such force, that Faen lost his grip on Gwaedh when the head retreated, the dao still in its eye.

The Hydra backed away several metres away from the group of demi-humans, the head that Faen had stabbed was thrashing around while another tried to do something to it. The poison vapours that had separated the demi-humans from the others was now gone, and the four demi-humans took a second to look at what they were doing.

Faen was slightly relieved to see that they were not dead, though he'd never say that out loud, and saw that the humans were fighting the Nevermore and the Death Stalker. They had separated into their own groups of four, like how the demi-humans were in a group of four, and were fighting them separately. It seemed their fights were going well, or at least, they seemed to be.

Turning their attention back to the Hydra, they saw that four of the heads had locked their malicious gaze on the demi-humans. The head that had its eye stabbed by Faen was now still, its one good eye sending Faen a look that screamed murder, while the sixth head tried to use its mouth to pull Gwaedh out of the previous head's head.

"Right, what's the plan?" Akagi asked the others as he removed the empty magazines from her pistols and loaded new ones, though unfortunately they were her last.

"Surround it. Two of us distract the heads at the front, while two others try to attack it from behind or the side." Faen relayed his plan to his companions as he pulled his secondary weapon, Aglar, from its sheathe on his back. It wasn't much of a plan, and the role of distracting the heads was highly dangerous, but it was still a plan.

"I don't think that's a good idea. We struggled against three heads when we fought as pairs, I don't think a pair will last too long against at least four of the darn thing's heads," Friesian spoke up as he changed his blade-whip into a straightsword, and took up a defensive stance.

"How about Semblances?" Grey joined in, her eyes never leaving the Hydra. They needed a plan soon, and the Hydra looked almost ready to attack again. "Faen? How 'bout yours? It-"

"Could get me killed if I'm not careful," Faen interjected. He had little desire to use it right now, for though it was powerful, it could incapacitate or get the elf killed.

What was Faen's Semblance? At will, Faen could focus his Aura and pour it into any weapon that he held in his hand. That was not all, for when he struck an enemy with the weapon, the stored Aura would lash out at his foe, the resultant release of energy would either injure or kill them, depending on the amount of Aura that was stored into the weapon. If he poured all or most of the Aura he still had into Aglar right, it was almost guaranteed to kill the Hydra, but there in lay the problem with his Semblance. It required a great deal of Aura to use, and left him vulnerable to further attacks.

So, it was understandable why Faen was so hesitant to use his Semblance, but Grey was adamant and continued to speak.

"What other choice do we have?" The werewolf shot back at Faen, her face as serious as stone. "That Hydra's not gonna roll over and let us kill it."

Faen and Grey stared each other in the eyes, wordlessly arguing with each other. The two had argued over this before. Grey knew and understood the danger that Faen put himself in whenever he used his Semblance, and always promised that she would look out for and protect him after he did. But Faen, stubborn arse that he was, almost always refused to use his Semblance whenever he could avoid it.

Akagi and Friesian looked on the two with uncertainty, they were not aware of Faen's Semblance, so they did not understand the danger that it posed if he used it. The elf would be down to a sixth of his Aura, at least, if he wanted to kill the Hydra with his Semblance, and they still needed to get back to Beacon Cliff. What were his chances of getting there with so little Aura?

"How about we get in close and stab it in the heart?" Friesian suggested, breaking up the silent argument between the elf and werewolf. "Cutting off its heads is pointless, but a good stab there could kill it!"

Faen looked to his fellow male demi-human, and quickly ran the idea through his head. It was feasible, easiest way to kill a Hydra was blowing it to tiny pieces with a lot of explosives, yet stabbing it in the heart was a good way to kill it too. But there was a problem. How were they going to get in close enough to plunge a blade into the Hydra's heart? Taking a guess, the best areas to stab the Hydra's heart would have to be from its underbelly, sides, or its back, but how could they get close enough?

"I can get in close without being noticed," Akagi volunteered. The kitsune holstered her pistols and drew her nagamaki. Faen had seen the way Akagi used the weapon, and knew that it was a weapon more suited to sweeping and slicing strokes than stabbing, but it could still do the job as far as Faen was aware and cared.

With very little time left, Faen agreed with the idea.

"You had better kill this thing," Faen said to Akagi. She in response silently nodded and turned to the Hydra. It had given up trying to remove Gwaedh from its eye, and started to thunder towards them.

With no more time to exchange words, Akagi disappeared. Faen stood there, stunned for a second as he stared at the spot where the kitsune had just been standing. Was Akagi's Semblance invisibility? Or maybe something along those lines? The elf's thoughts were broken and he was brought back to his senses when the Hydra let out a screeching roar at the demi-humans. Turning to face the Hydra, the three demi-humans readied themselves.

As the Hydra drew near, five of the Hydra's heads reared back and spat out a large cloud of toxic smoke and vapor at them.

"I got this!" Grey yelled as she stepped forward. Faen understood what the werewolf intended, and took a step back, so too did Friesian. The elf guessed that the other male demi-human was doing so because he did not know what would happen if he did not. A smart decision really, getting caught in Grey's Semblance was not an experience he would recommend to anyone, unless they were his enemies of course.

Grey took a deep breath, and when she exhaled, the air burst forth from her mouth with the speed of gale force winds. The Hydra's own toxic breath was cast back at it. It would not harm the six-headed Grimm, but, it momentarily caught it off guard and would distract it for a few seconds. A few seconds that the demi-humans would use to their advantage, and hopefully give Akagi, wherever she was, an opportunity to get in close and stab the beast.

They charged forward, weapons drawn and ready to be bloodied even more than they already were. Five of the Hydra's heads moved to attack the three demi-humans, while the sixth, the one that had Faen's dao in its eye, hung back.

Two of the Hydra's heads tried to attack Faen, the both of them trying to bite their jaws on the elf. Faen sidestepped one and stabbed at its neck, before pulling the blade away, and slashing the sword in a wide arc upwards while moving again as the second head tried to attack him. The wounds Faen inflicted were light, and would not at all be fatal.

The first head turned towards him and opened its mouth, ready to unleash its vile breath at him. Reacting quickly, Faen rose his left arm and fired his wrist-bow at its open mouth. The bolt flew, and lodged itself in the back of the head's mouth, causing it to reel away and let out a sharp roar of pain. A shadow fell over him, and the second head darted towards his outstretched arm, the elf barely pulling away in time to avoid it being trapped between the Grimm's jaws.

He turned, rose his sword over his head, and brought it down on the Hydra's neck with both hands on Aglar's grip. The blade bit through the Hydra's pitch-black flesh, and decapitated the head attached to it. The Hydra would recover from it, but for a few moments, there would be one less mouth trying to bite his limbs off or breath poisonous vapours and smoke at him and the others.

Taking a moment to see how the others were fairing, Faen saw Grey duck under one of the Hydra's heads and slash at the underside of its lower jaw. Her claw-like blade ripping three deep cuts into it. Meanwhile, Friesian had returned his weapon to its bladed-whip form and had wrapped it around one of the Hydra's six neck and pulled it towards him. What happened next surprised Faen, for when the head at the end of the neck he was pulling on drew near, Friesian drew his free arm back, clenched his fist, and punched it in the eye. It was amusing to watch, more so when Friesian let go of the neck, and saw the head thrash around in pain.

And in all this, Faen could not see or sense Akagi. Just where was she? And what was taking the kitsune so long to stab the beast?

Faen's focused to the matter at hand, that being trying to avoid becoming the Hydra's lunch and being caught in its horrible breath.

Using his Aura to assist him, Faen jumped over an attack from the head he shot in the mouth, swinging his sword at it while in mid-air. He underestimated the space between him and the head, and only grazed the top of its bone mask. Landing on his feet, Faen was on the moving again, thrusting Aglar at the head base of the Hydra head where it connected with its neck. It screeched, but was silenced when Faen pulled Aglar free and brought it down on the beasts neck, beheading another of the Hydra's heads.

Again, this was not in an effort to kill the beast, but to buy them and Akagi more time.

Speaking of heads being chopped off, the one he had cut off earlier was almost done growing back. Gripping Aglar tightly in his hand, Faen rushed towards it, planning to stab the sword into its brain to see whether that might be a feasible tactic. However, he was impeded when another of the Hydra's head dove at him.

Rolling under the Hydra head's attempt to bite his head off his shoulders, Faen let out a cry of alarm when he suddenly felt a mouth bite down on his right leg as he stood up from his roll, and was hoisted upside into the air by his leg. Looking up, Faen saw that the head that he had stabbed Gwaedh into was the one that had locked its jaws around his legs. He heard Grey shout his name, and when he looked towards her, Faen watched her get smacked aside by the Hydra's tail as it moved its body around.

Anger and frustration building up inside him, made worse by the sight of Grey being hit because she was distracted by his plight, Faen tried to aim his wrist bow at the head holding onto him. But the Hydra head caught onto what he was doing and started to violently shake left and right, swinging him like a ragdoll. Faen's sight was a blur, he lost grip of Aglar, and his head was hurting from being so violently swung around.

Then, three loud gunshots rang through the air, and three bullets buried themselves into the head holding and swinging the elf around. Screeching in pain, the head unintentionally let Faen go, the demi-human crashing onto the ground with a thud. Faen's Aura protected him, but as he struggled to focus his thoughts and vision, he wondered how much longer it would be able to do so.

Aglar lay on the ground a meter or two away from him, so the elf tried to get onto his feet and reach it. But he quickly fell back to the ground, his mind still disorientated and throbbing with pain, while his vision was shaking and hazy. Still, Faen attempted to crawl towards the sword.

Two blurred shapes, possibly Grey and Friesian ran over to him. The shape Faen guessed to be Grey used her Semblance to turn aside the a new burst of toxic breath, the one he supposed was Friesian, because of how their body did not have a head on its shoulders, picked up Aglar before going towards him and dragging the elf away from the advancing Hydra.

"Faen!" The elf heard Grey's voice call to him. He covered his eyes with one hand and squeezed his eyelids together in an attempt to refocus his sight and stop the dizzy feeling that, though it was steadily fading, persisted to make the inside of his head feeling like a woodpecker was constantly jabbing his skull with its beak.

Faen then felt Friesian let go of him, and heard him let out a battle cry. Pulling his hand away from his eyes, he saw Grey and Friesian stand over him and try to hold back the Hydra's six heads.

One of the Hydra's heads darted towards his prone form, its jaws opened wide and ready to bite down on the young elf. Yet, Friesian was able to intercept it, engulfing his bladed-whip in flames with Fire Dust, and scorching the side of the Hydra's head when he swung his whip across its face. The head recoiled from the whip's strike, its black flesh and white bone mask burnt by the attack, and turned its malicious attention towards the demi-human that had dealt it harm.

Two more heads were simultaneously attacking Grey. The werewolf was putting up one hell of a fight, growling at the beast's heads as she swung and stabbed her clawed gauntlets when they got too near. Faen would not be surprised if Grey's lips were peeled back, exposing her fangs. Finding that getting too close to the werewolf often resulted in them getting a new set of scars, the two heads resorted to trying to smother her with columns of poisonous gas and smoke again. This time, Grey did not use her Semblance, but fired the blades in her gauntlets at the two heads.

Two of the claws glanced off the Hydra heads' bone masks, but the others hit their mark and sunk into the heads.

As they fought, Faen's sight became clearer and refocus, and ceased to feel like a herd of reindeer were stampeding through the inside of his head. With no small amount of effort, Faen got onto his feet, and instantly had to dive out of the way as one of the Hydra's head shot a burst of its lethal breathe at him.

Grey and Friesian saw that Faen was back on his feet, and were visibly relieved to see his quick recovery, though they had to turn back to fight the Hydra.

"Faen, here!" Friesian shouted to the elf. Turning towards Friesian, Faen saw the somewhat headless demi-human toss Aglar to him. Leaping forward, the white-haired elf grabbed hold of the sword's handle, spun on round the moment his foot landed on the grassy floor, and swung the weapon in a vertical slash at one of the Hydra's heads trying to attack him from behind.

And then fell onto his back. Seemed he had not fully recovered from his short stint as a Hydra chew toy, or something along those lines. If they weren't in such a dire position, Faen was certain that Grey would let out a laugh at his clumsy display. But she wouldn't, the werewolf understood when time called for seriousness, yes, she'd let herself smirk in amusement, but she would not let it distract her too much. Their Mentor back in Vigil had hammered that into the two of them years ago.

Swiftly getting onto his feet, Faen dodged another barrage of poisonous vapours, and found himself back to back with Grey. Friesian joining them a moment later. They were getting tired, Grey and Friesian more so than him, and the damn beast was still not any closer to being dead.

The Hydra drew close to them, its necks snaking around to surround them, and its heads hissing menacingly at the three. It was then, beyond the tangle of the Hydra's many necks, that Faen saw a bushy black tail appear from nowhere and dart towards the Grimm's main body. Suddenly, the Hydra tensed and let out a loud screech from all of its six mouths. Confusion was the first reaction that the demi-humans had upon seeing the Hydra act this way, a realisation of what was going on came next.

It was Akagi. She'd finally done as she said she would.

Three of the Hydra's heads turned away from them and tried to attack Akagi however they could. Several gunshots were heard, five bullets flew and bit into the Hydra's flesh, and the large Grimm screeched even louder than before.

Faen, Grey, and Friesian were not just sitting around and twiddling their thumbs while this was all happening. Faen rose his left arm and fired the last bolt of his wrist-bow at one of the necks trying to attack Akagi, transformed Aglar into its spear form and stabbed the blade into the upper jaw of a head that wildly attacked him. Grey fired all the claw-blades currently in her gauntlets at the two others heads and necks not trying to have a go at the kitsune. Friesian, meanwhile, had swung and wrapped the tail of his bladed-whip around neck of one of the heads not trying to attack Akagi and pulled it with all strength as he could muster.

The Grimm was slowing, its movements becoming sluggish. It took more than a minute, but in time, the Hydra's legs failed and its body collapsed onto the forest floor. When the beast fell, it was with a loud thud and the ground shook from the impact of its body against the ground.

As the beast fell, Akagi was revealed to be standing at the left side of its main body, Divine Omen had been turned into its twin swords form and had not only stabbed them into the Grimm's body. She had cut a large wound into the beast's underbelly. The kitsune pulled the two swords free from the Hydra's body, put it back into its nagamaki form, and waved at the three demi-humans staring at her.

"We did it!" Grey exclaimed, a smile growing on her face as she turned her gaze towards the fallen Grimm.

"We killed a Hydra?" Friesian's head hesitantly whispered from his belt, seemingly unsure whether what was in front of him was real. Cautiously, he walked over to it and gave it a light kick, when nothing happened he kicked it again, this time with more force. Seeing that the Grimm was dead, its body now starting to evaporate, Friesian too smiled and triumphantly cheered. "God, we killed a Hydra!"

Faen, though he shared in the swelling sense of pride that his companions felt growing in their hearts, his mood was soured by how long it took for his teammate to make good with her earlier words.

"You... took your time," Faen grumbled to Akagi as he walked up to the head that Gwaedh was still buried in, and went on to pry the weapon out of it dead Grimm's eye.

"You're welcome," Akagi sarcastically replied with a snort as she walked up beside him. "I said I could get in close, and I did. And I'm still waiting for a thank for getting you out of the Hydra's teeth."

So, it was Akagi that shot the head that was shaking him around like a wet rag. He believed those gunshots he heard was hers, but now he had confirmation, guess he _should_ thank her for that. Still, he was reluctant to do so, because she would not have had to save him if she had gutted the Hydra sooner.

Having no inclination to say 'thank you' to Akagi, and feeling like no words of his would do him any good in this situation, Faen resorted to remaining silent. The kitsune glowered at his rudeness, but said nothing as well. The two would have a lot of work ahead of them if the wanted to work together for the duration of four years.

Grey between the two, wrapped her arms around the Faen and Akagi's shoulders, a toothy grin on her face.

"Let's see what the humans have been up to," the werewolf said. The three other demi-humans nodded, and turned towards the cliff and the eight humans they had come here with.

They did so in time to see the red-hooded human girl, Ruby, decapitate the Nevermore. Looks of stunned amazement came over the faces of the four demi-humans. Faen could see Blake, Yang, and the Schnee standing atop the ruins below the cliff. Meanwhile, the other group of humans, who had apparently killed the Death Stalker, stood near the cliff edge and were also looking up at the falling, headless body of the Nevermore in astonishment.

"Okay, uh, what did we miss?" Friesian asked after a moment of stunned silence.

Faen had no idea how to answer the other demi-human male's question, and just decided to simply sigh to himself and shake his head in silence. He really wanted Initiation to end.

* * *

It had taken a while, but they got back to Beacon Cliff. Ozpin, and the other professors were there to congratulate them all when they reached the top of the cliff, and quickly shepherded them off to Beacon. They were all checked for injuries, and seeing they were more or less unharmed by their foray into the Emerald Forest, were given a quick bite to eat and something to drink before they were sent to the main hall.

The main hall was packed. Not only were all the first-years present, but in the stands above the floor of the main hall were older members of Beacon's student body.

They waited there for some time, plenty of the first-years present conversed with each other. The subjects of their conversations were mainly about what happened during Initiation, what they thought was going to happen next, and what the teams would be like. Most stayed in the pair they had formed, a few leaving their teammate to go talk to friends or relatives.

Faen stayed out of these conversations for the most part, he let Akagi mingle and do most of the talking. Grey and Friesian, who he discovered to be what was called a 'dullahan', stood beside him and Akagi. Partially, Faen felt, because the werewolf wanted to make sure he didn't make an enemy of any other first-years.

Ruby, the Schnee, Blake, and Yang stood together nearby. The same went for the Jaune boy, the highly talkative orange-haired girl, Pyrrha Nikos, and the quiet boy with the pink streak in his black hair.

They almost looked like teams to be honest. Speaking of teams, Faen, and no doubt everyone else in the main hall, were still curious about just would happen with teams. Back when they got to the top of Beacon Cliff, the Headmaster and the professors asked for the relics they had brought with them. In all the 'excitement' with the Hydra, the Death Stalker, and the Nevermore, Faen had forgotten just what relic Grey and Friesian had taken. Friesian took out a black knight piece from one of his belt pouches, an identical piece to the one Akagi and himself and taken.

He wondered if that would mean anything for the team selection process.

A short while later, the final pair entered the main hall, and Headmaster Ozpin walked onto the centre of the main hall's stage soon after. Two holographic screen appeared above the stage, while the headmaster went on to call two pairs of first-years to come up onto the stage, announced the chess pieces they had acquired, designated them a team name, and declared just who the team leader was.

Faen paid close attention to each team being formed, measuring up the worth of each one and those that made up the teams. Though, he did snort in amusement when he heard some of the team names that the headmaster gave.

In time, Faen, Akagi, Grey, and Friesian were called up to the stage. Complying with the headmaster's call, Faen and the three other demi-humans walked up onto the stage an stood side-by-side each other as all the others who had been called up. So, he would be in a team with this lot? It could be worse, and at least Grey would be on the team with him. That allayed some of the nervousness Faen felt stirring inside.

"Faen Tatharion. Odori Akagi. Grey Ulric. Friesian Bones. The four of you retrieved the black knights pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team FFOG." Ozpin announced. "Led by... Faen Tatharion!"

Faen was more than a little surprised, and he was less than pleased to hear his appointment as team leader. Looking towards his now teammates, Faen saw Akagi give him a reassuring smile, Grey walked up to him and patted him on the back, while Friesian, who was holding his head in the crook of his arm, gave him a thumbs up with his free hand.

The elf was deaf to the applause from the onlooking crowds of students, and the words of congratulations said to him by the headmaster. He was silent as he walked off the stage with his new team, and remained so while the last teams were being formed.

Him? A team leader?

Faen had neither the desire, nor the belief that he should be a team leader. Yet, here he was, the leader of Team FFOG. Just thinking of it, the team name and his position in it, would take a lot of time and effort to get used to. If this was to be part of his path to becoming a huntsman-in-training, he might as well do what he could, and see this all through to the end.

Whatever the end fate decided that might be.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **The team name 'FFOG' is supposed to be about fog. Some of the sources I have looked up say fog is grey, while others say its a shade of off-white. I will admit that most of the fog I have seen is a lot more grey than white, but I live in Britain, so of course it is going to be grey plenty of the time.**

 **Friesian Bones: 'Friesian' is ths name of a horse breed from the Netherlands, also called the 'Belgian Black' for its black coat. 'Bones' is a reference to the character, Brom Bones, a character from the story 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' who is suspected to be the Headless Horseman that appears in the story.**

 **Semblances:**

 **In regards to Faen's Semblance, I drew inspiration for it from Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor Elves, from Tolkien's Silmarillion. More specifically his final moments, where he stabs the dark lord Morgoth in the heel before his death, causing Morgoth to walk with a limp for the rest of his immortal life. I'm trying not to make the OCs overpowered, but that was the best Semblance I could think of for Faen.**

 **For Grey's Semblance, I drew inspiration from the tale of 'The Three Little Pigs'. A Big Bad Wolf huffs, puffs, and blows in the houses of the three pigs. I don't think I need to explain any further.**

 **Akagi's Semblance is like invisibility, but at the same time it is not. Idea came from the ability of invisibility kitsunes possess. The precise details of her Semblance will be revealed later on.**

 **Not sure what to do for Friesian's Semblance. I'll work on it, don't you worry.**

 **On another matter, can I ask what you think of the fight scene against the Hydra was? I'm always unsure about the fight scenes that I come up, and this one I am particularly unsure of.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you all when I next see you.**

* * *

 _A Guide To Demi-Humans by David Silver_

 _Dullahan:_ _Dullahans are among the oddest demi-humans in regards to their appearance. Their heads are detached from their bodies and are without any neck to speak of, yet, both head and body can operate separate from one another through means that are not understood by researchers, or even the dullahans themselves. Just as bizarre is the dullahans' ability to 'see' and complete tasks while both their head and body are in different places. I once saw a dullahan's head watch television, while their body left the room and ready a hot bath._


	5. First Lessons

**Author's Note:**

 **Right, here's the next chapter of 'Demi-Human Students of Beacon'. Not a lot happens here, though I've i** **ntroduced a couple new characters to the story. Rushed things near the end due to how I wanted to get this chapter done.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Faen's eyes groggily opened, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the light that was starting to spill into his dorm through its sole window. With a grunt, the elf sat up, his bed's mattress creaking slightly at his movements, and he looked around the dorm he was sharing with his teammates.

The dorm was rather spacious, in his opinion anyway, and was actually larger than the room he and Grey shared before they came to Beacon. There was space for four beds, a small bookshelf, and four desks for the students to work and study on with an overhead shelf for books and other items above each desk. Also present were two closets, and a bathroom with a toilet.

On the bed opposite his, Faen saw that Grey was wide awake and still in the pajamas she'd worn to bed last night. She was currently playing with the Academy-issued Scroll given to all students when they were designated their dorms. Grey's wolf ears perked up when she heard him sit up and turned to look at him. Seeing he was awake, the werewolf greeted the elf.

"Morning."

"Dreams?" Faen asked Grey, following the usual morning rites the two had developed over the years they'd known each other.

"Fine. Though, I think I dreamt of taking a bath in a tub full of rubber ducks. Think I did that as the Wolf?" Grey replied with a light chuckle.

"That would be quite the sight if you had." The corner of Faen's lip curled upwards as he spoke. Grey had done a lot of strange things during the time he had known her, that would have been in the top ten strangest things she had done if it had happened. "Time?"

"Half-past 7," Grey informed Faen after taking a look at a clock that hung on one of the dorm's walls. "Woke up at 6:38."

"First class?" Faen asked as he got off his bed and sorted his bedsheets out. He quickly examined it and himself to make sure that Grey hadn't done anything to him while he was asleep. The elf was glad to find nothing and breathed a quiet sigh of relief, it was too early for him to deal with any of Grey's pranks.

"9 o'clock," the werewolf answered him.

Faen nodded at this, and turned to look towards his other teammates, Friesian and Akagi. The two were still in bed, and if they didn't wake up in the next two hours, he'd wake them up. For now, though, he'd just do his own thing.

Taking a towel and his new Beacon uniform out of one of the closets, Faen walked into the dorm's bathroom, and started to take a quick shower. He felt an instinctive desire to also bring his mask, the academy did allow students to wear accessories with their uniform, but Faen decided that a mask would be too much.

After the post-Initiation ceremony, the various teams that were formed were assigned dorms, given scrolls and schedules, and allowed some time to themselves. FFOG had unpacked, decided which of the beds were theirs, and got talking to one another. They hadn't said too much to each other, only some basic things so that the team could know each other better.

Throughout the conversation he had not been the most open, and divulged more personal information than he actually liked, but it was an effort to strengthen their bond at a team. And as team leader, Faen supposed he should set an example or something like that. The whole leadership thing was still something he was trying to wrap his head around, and he had yet to inform his family back in Avalon.

He should really find time to call them soon.

Once his shower was done and he had changed into his uniform, Faen stepped out of the bathroom, and, seeing nothing had really changed, decided to walk outside and go to the floor's common room. Stepping outside, saying a quick word to Grey as he did so, Faen found the hall to be empty and still. It seemed he was the first person that was out and about.

In silence, Faen walked up to the floor's common room. Every floor in the dorm buildings had one, the size of each one equal to two to three dorms. They were places where students from the same floor could gather and interact, as well as cook and eat food, for the common rooms had a fridge, stove, and other such kitchen appliances. There was also a television, a table, and a couple couches.

Opening the door, Faen saw that he was not the first person to enter the common room. Sitting at the common room's table was the vampire he had seen in the cafeteria, the chair she was sat on was positioned so that the vampiress was facing away from the Sun. She wore her Beacon uniform, as well as her dark shades hiding her orange eyes, while a short, dark-blue headdress, greatly resembling a nun's habit, was worn over her head. If he remembered correctly from the gathering in the main hall after Initiation, her name was Monica Dusk, the 'M' of Team AMRT _(Amaranth)_.

Faen had met Vampires before, back in Avalon. Contrary to their depictions prior to the revelation of Demi-Human existence, Vampires _could_ stand in the Sun, however, it did cause them to be lethargic at the worst of times. And their skin sure as hell didn't sparkle.

"Oh. Good morning," the vampiress politely greeted him when she noticed his presence.

"Hm. Morning," Faen responded with a nod of his head. He grabbed a glass, walked to the sink, and poured himself a glass of water. That done, he sat at one of the couches and drank his glass of water in silence. Monica appeared to want to say more, maybe to ask how his morning was or perhaps get to know him better, but she didn't, and continued on with whatever she was doing.

They remained this way for a good while, none of the two saying a word to the other. Faen took out his Scroll and looked through local and global newfeeds to see what was going on outside the Academy. There was the usual stuff; someone did this, someone said that, Grimm sightings here and there. Faen had not expected to find anything interesting anyway.

There was mention of a Minotaur demi-human goring a man on their horns in downtown Vale, but apart form that, nothing else caught his attention.

With that done, Faen stuffed his scroll away and carried on drinking from his glass of water. After a few more silent minutes, the quiet atmosphere ended when Monica decided to speak up.

"How are you this morning?" Monica asked Faen, attempting to strike up a conversation with him.

"I'm alright," was Faen's simple response to her question. "You?"

"I'm okay," the vampiress said. The two became silent again, this rather awkward start to their attempt at conversation made Faen look away from Monica and out the common room's window. She must have noticed, and believed he was losing interest in their 'conversation', which he honestly was, and tried to keep it alive. "My name's Monica, Monica Dusk. We were on the same airship, weren't we? I think I remember seeing you there and in the cafeteria the next day. Are you from Avalon?"

"Yes, I'm from Avalon." Faen looked back towards her. "Faen Tatharion is my name. I assume you're from Avalon as well?"

Monica nodded affirmatively at him, and seemed to be a bit excited to see him conversing with her. Or at the very least she was glad to have someone to talk to right now, well that was Faen's guess.

"Indeed. Which part of Avalon do you come from?" The vampire shifted in her seat so that she was properly facing him. Faen, meanwhile, turned on the couch he was sat on to better look at her as well. If they were indeed going to have this conversation, might as well show that he was at the least bit interested in having it, and the best way to do that was by looking at the other person participating.

"South-east. Town of Selene," Faen answered her. At the mention of the town's name, Monica rose her brow in surprise and gave him a questioning look.

"Isn't that the place that the centaurs say they built, but everyone knows that it was the ogres who did it?" Monica inquired, the vampire's words making Faen's right eye twitch.

"Yeah. The very same place," Faen sighed. Was the dispute between the ogres and centaurs over who built Selene really the most noteworthy thing about the town? Was no other piece of the town's long history memorable? Resigning to this fact, for now, Faen asked Monica a question of his own. "You? Where are you from?"

"Bordeaux, it's in the north of Avalon." The vampiress answered.

Faen hummed at her response. He'd heard of Bordeaux, a coastal city, famed for the wine that they exported to the rest of Avalon and even the rest of the world. Besides that, there wasn't much else he knew.

Much to his own surprise, Faen was strangely comforting to know that Monica was from Avalon, and the knowledge made him slightly less guarded around her. Still, he was not going to start calling her friend and let her get as close to him as he had let Grey be to him. The same went for his teammates, Akagi and Friesian. It would take time, quite some time at that.

The two fell silent again, trying to find a subject to keep their conversation going. Faen, not finding anything, kept quiet, and waited for Monica to say something. After a few seconds, she did.

"So. You're an elf," Monica finally spoke after a short pause. It was a statement more than a question. "I've never met an elf before."

Faen rose an eyebrow at her choice of topic. He paid it no mind and decided to roll with it.

"Hm, that so? Well, I've met a fair few vampires before," Faen replied. There was a noticeable glint of emotion in Monica's eyes when Faen mentioned that he had met Vampires before. She was able to keep whatever emotion that lay underneath her calm veneer from surfacing, and continued to engage with Faen through their conversation.

"Really? What were they like?"

He did not answer Monica immediately, her question was a curious one in his opinion, and, though he was no expert in reading people, Faen could sense there was something behind it. She was more than curious about vampires, she was... honestly, he couldn't tell right now. Deciding to just answer her for the sake of politeness, and to see if he could find out why Monica seemed so interested in other vampires, Faen answered the vampiress.

"Eh, can't say much about them. One was an arrogant snob who had no concept of other people's personal space. Another was a creep. And a third, though alright, left town before I got to know them better."

These were Faen's genuine thoughts on three vampires he had met before coming to Beacon. That first and third being fellow students from his time in Vigil Martial School, the second the manager of an undertaker business in Selene. Now, to gauge Monica's reaction.

Curiously, the expression on her face seemed to fall a bit, and, if Faen was right, the vampiress seemed a bit disappointed. Why was that he wondered? It probably wasn't his business, but the knowledge that she was interesting in other vampires was a cause of intrigue for Faen, and he made a mental note of it. This development might be worth investigating at a later date.

Before more could be said between the two, Faen heard someone approaching the common room door. A few seconds later, the door to the common room clicked opened and another student walked in. Correction, the student slithered into the room.

"Ah, there you are! We were wondering where you had gone," the new arrival said in a feminine voice.

Faen turned to face whoever had just arrived, and recognised them to be the naga he had seen in the locker room prior to Initiation. The top half of her body was of human woman with tan skin, dark-purple coloured long hair, while the bottom half of her body was a long snake's tail with purple scales. Her pink eyes, snake-like in appearance and strangely mesmerizing the longer he looked into them, were examining Faen with a half-lidded gaze. She too wore a Beacon uniform, a skirt covering the area where her human half joined with her lower snake half.

"Oh, Amarantha, good morning." Monica greeted the Naga. "I woke up a bit too early and didn't want to wake you all up, so I came here to wait for a bit. It seemed like you all needed the sleep after yesterday."

"Thank you for your consideration, Monica." The Naga, Amarantha, graciously replied to Monica. She then turned to face Faen, her eyes focusing on him. "You. You are the elf called Faen, I remember you from when we were assigned our teams."

Amarantha's words were not filled with any kind of hostility or coldness, not as far as Faen could tell. But neither was there any kind of warmth or friendliness. Oddly, the Naga's tone reminded Faen of a few instances where Grey told him that he sounded just like this when he met new people, though he was a apparently a bit more colder. Was that what he sounded like some times?

"Correct. And you're Amarantha, I remember you as well." Faen said with a single nod of his head to Amarantha, his voice almost matching hers in regards to its tone.

The Naga rose a brow at him, an unknowable question playing out in her head after hearing him. Had he offended unintentionally her? Faen couldn't tell, and he started to think up ideal responses if she stated any kind of displeasure towards him.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Faen. C'mon Monica, the others are awake, and I think we should go over a few things as a team." Amarantha gestured to Monica to follow her as she turned and snaked her way back to the common room door. Though not before giving Faen a respectful bow. The tone she used had not changed, and her body language remained relaxed. It seemed he had not come off as a dick after all.

"Of course. It was nice to meet you Faen, I'll see you at a later time." Monica said to Faen as she got up from her chair. Faen just gave them a single wave of his hand as a gesture of farewell, and watched as the two left the common room together.

Finding himself alone, Faen decided to spend a few minutes to himself. Thinking over a few things before going back to his team's dorm. Particularly the two demi-humans he had just spoken to.

Through his short, and awkward at times, conversation with Monica, he had found her to be courteous and amicable. Her barely hidden curiosity towards her vampire kin had quickly caught his attention, and left him speculating as to the reasons why. And to be honest, that headdress she wore made her look a bit like a nun. Not that was a bad thing in any way, it was just an observation of his. It was too soon for Faen to decide whether or not she was someone he could consider making more than an acquaintance.

Amarantha was a more difficult creature for him to figure out. The interaction between the two had been too short for him to form a proper impression about her and what she was liked. He'd wait until he had a more meaningful interaction with Amarantha before he made a decision in regards to his attitude towards the Naga.

They were in the same student year group as him, and would probably have a few classes together. He'd have more opportunities to get to know them.

Checking the time on his scroll, Faen saw that it was 7:55. Grey should have at least showered and got into her uniform, while Akagi and Friesian should be awake, or nearly awake, by now. Faen figured that he should really head back to his dorm to make sure that his previously stated expectations on his team's status were happening. They had slightly over an hour until their first class, an adequate amount of time to get ready, yet Faen wanted to be sure so that his team was not late to the first lesson of the year.

Quickly finishing his glass of water, Faen washed the glass in the common room's sink, and headed back to his dorm like Monica and Amarantha had. Leaving the common room, Faen saw that there were others who were now up and about. A couple students greeted him, he silently nodded in response.

Entering his dorm he heard the sound of the shower running from inside the bathroom, and noticed that Akagi was awake while Friesian was still asleep in his bed. Grey was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning," Akagi greeted him with a smile. She was sat on her bed, had messy bed-hair, and still wore the red yukata she wore as pajamas. Her tall fox ears were drooping over her head, while her five tails rested on her bed.

"Morning," Faen replied. He walked over to his bed and sat on it. He did not need to ask just who it was that was in the shower, it was obviously Grey. "When did you wake up?"

"A minute ago," the kitsune answered. Akagi then groaned loudly as she stretched her limbs as far as possible. "When did you wake up?"

"Almost 8 o'clock."

Akagi nodded at Faen's words, and resumed her stretching. Quietly, the two waited for Grey to finish her shower and change, and for when Friesian was going to wake up. If they didn't by quarter-to 8, they'd knock on the shower door and wake Friesian up.

The two did not have too long to wait. The sound of the shower running, Faen and Akagi's voices, and his own internal clock, saw Friesian wake up without the need for either of his awake teammates to do anything. Friesian's body sat up from his bed, while his head blinked open a few times and let out a wide yawn.

"Ugh, is it morning already?" Friesian grumbled, his eyes squinting as a ray of light fell upon his head through the window. His body reached out and pulled his head away from the sunlight. "I had this great dream where I-"

"It's now 8 o'clock. We have lessons at 9," Faen interrupted the dullahan, "Grey's in the shower. But she should be finished soon."

"'Kay, we'll get ready. Any breakfast?" Friesian asked, his question making Faen let out a short sigh of annoyance. Annoyance directed at himself. He should have thought about breakfast for his team, he had been outside for a short while, and had the opportunity to do so. Then again, Grey was the first awake, and should have really gotten them breakfast instead of just laying around and playing with her scroll.

"Grey'll get something for us to eat from the cafeteria once she's done. If the cafeteria's open," the elf responded.

"Will she? Shouldn't someone else do so?" Akagi asked him, doubtful of whether she would. She also seemed to be suggesting to Faen that he should go, she was aware that he had been outside a short while ago. Faen ignored her, took out his Scroll, and began checking out what other features and functions it possessed.

Seeing he did not what to say anymore, the two other demi-humans decided to do their own thing. They grabbed clothes from the closets, sorted out their beds, and waited for Grey to finish her shower. They did not have to wait long. The sound of the shower running stopped, and five minutes later, Grey left the bathroom, wearing her Beacon uniform. She was still drying her hair with a towel, the sleeves of her shirt were rolled up past her elbows, and had her uniform jacket carried over her left shoulder.

"Morning!" The werewolf jovially cried out in greeting to her teammate.

"Grey, do you mind if you go get us some breakfast?" Faen immediately said to her.

"Shouldn't you have got it?" Grey replied, questioning why he had not got the team their breakfast despite having the opportunity to. Faen just looked back at her, sending a questioning gaze of his own back at Grey, silently asking why she had not done the same. "Ugh, fine. Just give me a second."

Grey spent ten more seconds running her towel through her hair before she threw it over to her bed and left the dorm. Grumbling something under her breath as she exited out the door.

As Grey left, Akagi walked into the bathroom, and started to wash herself. She was quick, only five minutes in the shower, while taking nearly as much time to get into her Beacon uniform. Friesian decided to be quick as well, only washing his hair and changing into his clothes. Faen wrinkled his nose at his decision, but let him be. The elf did hope that the dullahan did not make this into a habit and would actually wash himself regularly.

In time, Grey returned to the dorm, and came back with breakfast for all of Team FFOG. Into the team's shared dorm she carried a tray of ham sandwiches with four soda cans.

"I'm back! Hope you all like sandwiches," Grey declared to her teammates.

"You took your time," Akagi stated to the werewolf as she finished brushing the fur of her five tails. Grey stuck her tongue out at the kitsune as she brought the tray over to her and let Akagi take one of the sandwiches and soda cans. She moved on to Friesian, who was sat on his bed with his head resting on his lap.

"Ham sandwiches?" Friesian questioned as his body took one of the sandwiches and presented it to his head.

"Yep! Ham! The meat of true warriors!" Grey proudly declared, beating her chest with her fist once.

Faen rolled his eyes at Grey. If there was anything Grey liked more than fighting, teasing him, and the outdoors, it was ham and any other food products made from pigs. When the two had lived together, Faen had been at his wits end a few times because of how Grey had gone on to spend a good portion of their weekly allowance on bacon more than few times.

Werewolves, like humans, and most faunus and demi-human species, were omnivorous, but their diets consisted of a lot of meat. So, that would explan why Grey ate a lot of ham and pork, but still, it could frustrating at times.

"Right. Eat up, we got a lesson at 9." Faen more or less ordered his team as he took a sandwich from the tray, but declined on taking one of the soda cans. Wait... did the soda cans have the words 'People Like Grapes' printed on it? What kind of company thinks 'People Like Grapes' is a good name for a product? Faen shook his head at the strangeness of the sodas name and took a bite of his sandwich. Each member of FFOG followed suit and started to eat and drink on either their beds or desks.

While they ate, Faen's mind went back to a discussion the team had before going to bed last night.

Before they'd gone to bed last night, FFOG had a team discussion where they told a few things about themselves. It had been an illuminating conversation, though, admittedly, they had spoken only of the most basic things about their lives. From who they were to where they came from. Until the next team discussion, the information he had learnt about his teammates, specifically Akagi and Friesian, would do for now.

As team leader, Faen went first, though, it took a bit of coaxing from Grey and the others to get the elf to open up to the more personal details of his life. He was their team leader, and a leader leads don't they? He told them his name, that he was an elf, gave them some details about his weapons, and things such as how he lived in Selene for most of his life after moving there with his family when he was still five. He didn't say much else, the only other things he said was that he was friends with Grey, attended Vigil Martial School, and that his father was a member of Selene's Town Guard while his mother worked in the local library.

The others had been... encouraging when they seemed to notice that he was finding it difficult to open up. It was a good sign, a sign of their supportiveness.

Friesian went next, the team having gone ahead with the idea of speaking according to their place in the team's name. He revealed that he was a native to the Kingdom of Vale, having been raised in a town south of the City of Vale. Lone son of a male dullahan car salesman, and a female human who worked at the same dealership as Friesian's father as its receptionist. That caused Faen to raise an eyebrow. Not only was Friesian a demi-human from the Kingdoms, but he was also half human. The whip-sword he used back in Initiation was called 'Tenebrous Mettle'.

Admittedly, Faen and the dullahan had not spoken to each other much yesterday, largely due to how the elf found it hard to approach Friesian because of his... unique biology. He'd make an effort, Faen just had to get over Friesian's nature as a body that carried around its own disembodied head.

Akagi followed after Friesian. Like when she introduced herself to Faen, she insisted in being called by her surname rather than her forename. The kitsune explained what species of demi-human she was, told them she was from Shangri-La, and named her weapons. Second daughter of four children in a family of five, all of whom were kitsunes. Much to everyone's surprise, Akagi revealed that her mother was the secretary to one of the Ten Ministers, Shangri-La's equivalent to the Kingdoms' ruling councils though the positions were often hereditary when compared to the Kingdoms' councils.

Akagi was his partner. They'd talked for a fair amount of time yesterday and shared some personal information with each other. Faen still felt a bit bitter at how long it had taken the kitsune to act during the fight with the Hydra, but he could look past that for the sake of the team.

Finally, Grey got to speak. She stated her name, that she was a werewolf, named her clawed gauntlets as 'Rip and Tear', and that she too lived in Selene. Grey told the rest of the team that she was part of a family of four, made up of a father who worked also worked in the Selene Town Guard, a mother who acted as a housewife, with an older sister who worked as an Assistant Mentor at Vigil. Faen already knew all this, so he paid less attention to Grey whilst she spoke when compared to the others.

He knew Grey. She was his friend, and he was hers. They'd lived together, trained together, fought together, fought each other, and done a whole lot of other things in the time they'd known each other. It would be relatively easy for Faen to work with Grey because of their history. There would be the usual difficulties that came with co-operating with someone with a differing personality as yours, yet, if they could stay together for this long, they could stay together for even longer.

This was his team. _His_ team.

Goodness knows how he was going to make this work, but he would try.

They would have another team discussion, that was certain. They would learn more about each other, and, hopefully, grow closer and stronger as a team. Yet, Faen was also deliberating on how much he was willing to reveal about himself.

Faen's mind then went on to what they should talk about next. They still had some time till their first lesson, so they could take about something else while they waited and readied themselves. Thing is, what should they talk about? They talked about plenty of the important stuff yesterday, as far as Faen was concerned, and the elf had no idea what other topic they should discuss next. Should they talk about more personal things about themselves? Why they'd chosen to go to Beacon? Expectations they had for the next four years in the academy?

Thankfully, Faen did not have to say anything. It was Friesian who found something to talk about and initiated the conversation.

"So..." Friesian said as he finished gulping down the last of his sandwich. How the food and drink he consumed went into his stomach, Faen had no idea. "...what's the first thing on our timetable?"

In response, Akagi reached over to her bedside table, took out a notebook and leafed through its pages until she found the one where she had stuck her timetable. They all had the same classes, so whatever she told the rest of them was what they also had.

"Grimm Studies, with... uh, Professor Port." The kitsune informed Friesian and the rest of the team. Faen guessed that he should have been the one to do that, but did not begrudge Akagi for being the one to inform the rest of the team as to what their first lesson was going to be. Checking the time, Faen saw that it was now 8:29, and decided that they should head to their first class soon.

"'Port'? Huh, I think I've heard that name before." Friesian thoughtfully said, he then clicked his fingers after a pause. "Oh yeah, I remember now! Peter Port, guy's a bit of a notable Huntsmen here in Vale, used to be pretty active when he was younger."

"Anything we should know?" Faen asked, interested in hearing what this 'Professor Port' was like.

"Not much," Friesian's body shrugged his shoulders, "don't really hear much about him nowadays. Though, there is talk of him doing some pretty crazy stuff whenever he isn't teaching and goes out to do fieldwork. I think the same actually applies for when he teaches."

Faen furrowed his brow at the information Friesian relayed to the rest of FFOG. 'Crazy stuff'? What kind of things could this Professor Port have done if they were considered 'crazy'? What would his classes be like anyway?

"Well I hope his lessons are interesting. Not like some of the Mentors back in Vigil, right Faen?" Grey remarked to Faen, bringing back memories of that one Mentor back in Vigil Martial School whose lessons were so boring that Faen and Grey would unknowingly fall asleep. Thank goodness they were replaced by a Mentor who made their lessons far more interesting.

"True, but I think we should finish up and ready for class. We got 30 minutes until Port's lesson," Faen informed his teammates. Hearing this, the rest of Team FFOG finished their breakfast and began to gather what resources they needed for today's lessons. Resources such as pens, pencils, and notebooks. The academy was supposed to hand out the textbooks the students needed for the school year when they got to the relevant classes, so they didn't have much to carry with them.

Once they were ready, and after triple checking that they were, Team FFOG left their dorm and headed to the lecture hall that was designated to be where their lesson with Port was to be held. Like Grey had said before, Faen hoped that it would be interested.

* * *

FFOG was able to get to the lecture hall well ahead of time, though they did get lost at one point, and diligently waited for it to begin. Time trickled by the same way that teams of students entered the hall. By the relieved looks that came over a few of the teams, it was evident that they too had gotten lost once or twice, which made Faen feel less bad about himself since he was the one that got his team lost while on their way here.

Professor Port arrived five minutes before the clock struck 9, and allowed the class to talk amongst themselves as he got himself ready. The professor seemed to be alright, though, Faen was on guard for any 'crazy stuff' as Friesian had put it.

When the time finally reached 9 o'clock and the last teams arrived, the first lesson of Grimm Studies began. Faen was interested by the subject, learning more about the Grimm themselves would better his knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately better his ability to slay them.

But what Faen, his team, and the rest of the class were treated to was not what they expected.

After a short introduction, Port began his lecture. He talked, and talked, and talked, and talked. Gods, he was still talking!

He was worse than that boring Mentor he had back in Vigil!

"...The desperate civilians cried out in despair. 'What ever shall we do?!' That was when I bravely stepped forward and..."

 _'How is he still speaking?'_ Faen mentally grumbled. The class had started well over half an hour ago, and for most of that time, Professor Port had just been babbling on about some of the most random things Faen had ever heard in a speech. What was the original subject he had been talking about anyway?

His team and classmates were also struggling with Port's seemingly endless speech about himself. Several were nodding off or had fallen asleep entirely. Others found something else to do just to stop themselves from joining their sleeping classmates. A rare few, maybe two or three individuals, were actually trying to stay awake and listen to the Grimm Studies professor.

Needless to say, that last batch of students had a harder time than the rest of them.

Faen was of the second group, a finger tracing the words in his textbook as he read a passage on the Hydra type Grimm. His confrontation with this type of Grimm, and his short bout as its chew toy, had sparked a drive in him to be better prepared in the event the elf faced another. Meanwhile, Grey had fallen asleep, the werewolf resting her forehead on her folded forearms. Friesian was absently twiddling his thumbs and looking outside a window, he had tried listening but gave up when Port was fifteen minutes into his speech. And Akagi, who was sat next to him, was boredly reading with him. Though, she would occasionally startle him by brushing one of her tails against his cheek or suddenly wrapping it around his midsection.

As he finished reading a paragraph on the typical behaviour of Hydras, Faen took a moment to glance at his classmates. He aspied Monica, Amarantha, and the humans he had gotten acquanited with before and during Initiation.

There was the newly established Team RWBY, consisting of Ruby Rose, the Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Ruby being its leader. It had confused Faen at first, still did, but he was sure he'd get used to it. Somehow.

The other four humans were grouped together and formed Team JNPR. Lead by Jaune, that was a surprise, with Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lien Ren making up the rest of the team. Jaune's appointment as leader had been an even greater surprise than his own, and Faen had his misgivings he'd admit. Time and fate would decide whether it was a wise decision.

Looking towards the front of the class, Professor Port was still going on with his speech.

"...It was then that I grabbed hold of the broken tree branch, and..."

Faen tuned the human out, and continued to read from his textbook. It was hell of a lot more interesting than listening to Port.

Sometime passed, 30 minutes in fact, in that time Faen grew bored and fell asleep. When the lesson reached the hour mark, Faen felt someone gently place a hand on his shoulder and shook him until they woke him up. Raising his slumped head, the elf looked to the hand on his shoulder and discovered that it was Akagi that had shaken him awake.

"Wha-?" Faen unintentionally yelped in surprise.

"You just missed the Schnee girl volunteering to fight whatever's in that cage," Akagi whispered to him. The kitsune pointed a finger towards the seat where the Schnee had been sitting, which was now vacant, then towards a violently shaking cage in the front of the lecture hall that had certainly not been there the last time he checked. "Hm, it sounds angry. What do you think it is?"

Faen did not answer her, but squinted as he tried to see what was inside the cage. Unfortunately for him, the position where he was sat in the stands made it hard to get a peek between the cage's bars. All he could say was that he agreed with his partner. Whatever was in the cage sure was angry.

"Whatever's in it, let's hope its fight with the Schnee actually livens this lesson up." Faen whispered back to Akagi. Watching the Schnee fight the thing in the cage had better be more entertaining than listening to Port. If not, it was back to sleep with him.

After a few minutes, time used by the class to wake up the still sleeping members of the class, the Schnee returned, dressed in her combat outfit and wielding her rapier. Her team cheered her on, Ruby being the loudest, but the Schnee was quick to express her annoyance at her leader's cheering.

"Allllright!" Port spoke up as he stood next to the cage and brought up his blunderbuss-axe. "Let the match... begin!"

With that, the professor swung his axe down and broke the cage's lock with his weapon's axehead. The creature within the cage seemed to instantly sense that the lock to its prison had been broken, and burst out from its confinement. To Faen's shock, the creature that Port had kept inside the cage was in actuality a Boarbatusk, a Grimm in the shape of a monstrous boar. Faen almost leapt to his feet at the Grimm's sudden appearance, a reaction he shared with many other students in the class.

The Boarbatusk was not focused on the students in the stands, however, but had its baleful eyes fixed on the Schnee and charged right at her.

"Uh, is this one of the things you've heard Port do?" Grey asked Friesian. A quick look at the surprised look on Friesian's face told him that it was not.

"Um, this is my first time learning about this." Friesian responded to his werewolf partner's question.

"Is no one going to ask how the heck did he got it in that cage?" Akagi added, raising a fair point. The Creatures of Grimm were notoriously difficult to capture alive, and when they were, keeping them confined and alive was even harder. Just how Port had captured it, and for how long the professor had kept the beast inside its cage, were answers that Faen didn't really want to know.

"Let's not ask," Faen said to his team. Quickly recovering from the initial shock of the Boarbatusk's appearance, Faen turned away from his team and looked to the fight going on in the front of the lecture hall.

To cut a long story short, the fight was short, a bit too short for Faen's own liking. It had its moments. The Schnee lost her weapon, the Boarbatusk charged into a desk, and the way she finished off the beast was certainly something to see. Other than that, the fight had not been as entertaining as Faen had hoped it would be.

Ah well, it was over. What could he do about it?

There was something else that stood out to him throughout the fight. The Schnee's discontentment with Ruby's position as leader. Anyone with two eyes and a functioning brain could see it, and even if they were blind they could hear it in her voice.

The young red-hooded human had yelled advice, sound advice at that, and encouragement to the Schnee throughout the fight, but was met with barely-hidden annoyance, then open frustration near the end. Though Faen wanted to poke at her attitude, he didn't, for the elf knew that he would act similarly if he was in the Schnee's position. Ruby was younger than everyone in the hall and had been interrupting the Schnee's focus, things that would have annoyed him if he were the Schnee.

"It's over? Kind of wanted it to last longer," Friesian sighed. He then leaned towards the rest of FFOG and quietly whispered to them. "It would mean less time listening to him."

The rest of Team FFOG did not have to guess who 'him' was. For after the fight was over, and the Schnee had returned to her seat in the stands, Port had gone back to speaking. At least this time he was actually talking about the fight, and was stating how he would have fought the Boarbatusk. He then, to the students' despair, started to tell another lengthy tale about one encounter he had with a Boarbatusk, and all the randomness that had happened before and after.

Faen looked to the lecture hall's clock and saw that they had fifteen minutes left of this class. Seeing this he let out an irritated groan. Those were going to be some of the longest fifteen minutes of his life.

* * *

Elsewhere, in a hidden location somewhere in Vale, a young woman in a dark-red mini-dress sat quietly in a dimly lit room as she went over her plans. Her long ashen-black hair with a bang of hair almost covering her left eye completely.

Bright amber eyes scanned over numerous maps, diagrams, and reports compiled before her. Some by herself, while a few were sent to her by her subordinates, associates, and 'superiors'. She hated that she had those considered above her in power, but she would put up with it for now. This was tedious work, but it would all be worth it when she succeeded and claimed her prize.

A strand of hair fell over the woman's right eye. Without a word, she brushed the hair aside and tucked it behind her moderately elongated and pointed right ear. Both of her ears were the same, her left was just barely visible underneath her hair.

A knock on the door alerted her that she was needed. The young woman spared her plans one final glance before answering the doors. Things were going to get busy in Vale by the end of Spring.

* * *

 **Another chapter done, sorry it's taken so long to do, again. Been trying to balance writing this fanfic and the other one that I've been writing.**

 **Monica Dusk: Whilst planning this fanfiction, I had originally intended her to be a member of Faen's team, but changed my mind. The meaning of the name 'Monica' is unknown and I'll admit that I chose it to be the vampire's first name because I felt that it fit well with surname I gave her. 'Dusk' refers to the time when the sun sets.**

 **Amarantha Tanith: Had some difficulty with coming up with her, particularly her name. Ran through about three different names for the naga before settling on this one. 'Amarantha' is derived from a Greek word 'unfading' and references Amaranth flowers, which are varying shades of purple and pink as far as I've seen. 'Tanith' means 'serpent-lady', very smart right?**

 **I'm being sarcastic about that last part if anyone can't tell.**

 **That's all I've got to say for now.**

 **I'll see you all when I next see you.**

* * *

 _A Guide to Demi-Humans by David Silver_

 _Vampires:_ _As opposed to their common depiction throughout the time before the existence of Demi-Humans, many of the supposed weaknesses of Vampires are not true. Garlic and holy relics have no affect on them, though many find the smell of garlic to be rather repugnant, and they can cross running water without any issue. Sunlight does affect Vampires, but it is only an irritant to them._

 _The myth that Vampires are drink the blood of other creatures is in fact true, though the act is restrained only to animals, and the consumption of human blood is only performed during important rituals and ceremonies in Vampire culture. I must stress that human blood is voluntarily given by a consenting individual or provided from certain blood banks that cater to Vampires._

 _Naga:_ _A race of half-human half-snake Demi-Humans, many of whom live in the hidden Enclaves in South-East Anima. Often serving as the guards for these Enclaves._

 _My encounters with Naga were few and far between, but they acted courteously whenever I spoke with them. Many were spiritual, and practised a faith that advocated for peace, but they are not above taking up arms whenever the need to defend themselves arises._


	6. A duel and a day out

**Author's Note:**

 **We're not yet at the Jaunedice story arc, we'll start that next chapter.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

More than a week had passed since FFOG's first day as a team. And in that time, a fair few things had happened.

For one, someone almost set fire to the entire dormitory block when they left the common room oven unattended. Luckily for everyone in the block, the fire was quickly extinguished, but the culprit was never found out.

Another thing that had happened was Friesian pulling a prank on Team RWBY. The dullahan left a small cardboard box in front of RWBY's dorm and knocked on the door before quickly hiding. Ruby answered the door and found no one but the box lying on the floor. Curious, Ruby took the box into the dorm, presented it to her team, and opened it. The shocked screams that followed were so loud that people in the other dormitory blocks had heard it.

What was in the box? Friesian's head.

All of FFOG had been in on the prank and had found it humorous. Things took a turn when Yang burst out of RWBY's dorm, her hair on fire, eyes red, and clutching Friesian's terrified head in one hand. FFOG ran a marathon around the entire Beacon campus while Yang chased after them. It had taken the personal intervention of Headmaster Ozpin to prevent things from turning messy when Yang finally caught up to them. In the end, they all laughed it off and went back to what they had been doing.

Also, Faen had finally been able to inform his family of his current position as team leader of FFOG. They were pleased with him and glad for the learning opportunity his status as team leader presented. They were happy that he and Grey were on a team together, and expressed interest when he spoke of his other teammates. Especially his partner, Akagi.

The team was currently in Combat Class, the lesson being taught by Professor Goodwitch in the same hall that the first-years had gathered in when they first arrived in Beacon. The classes they'd already had with her showed her to be a stern woman, but a good teacher as far as Faen was concerned. She, like most of Beacon's teaching staff, did not seem to mind the differences between humans, faunus, and demi-humans.

The lessons themselves proved a good way for the students to test each other's capabilities. A number of healthy rivalries had also sprung up among the students due to spars in Combat Class, though, some of the rivalries that arose were far from healthy.

Right now, the class had just finished watching the Jaune human get demolished by Cardin, the human that had insulted him and Grey back when they first arrived at Beacon. It had been a humiliating battle for Jaune, his performance against Cardin had been poor, and the only reason that the fight had dragged on for as long as it did was due to the Jaune's extraordinarily large reservoir of Aura. If Faen was to be honest, Jaune performed poorly in pretty much every fight he had participated in since the year started.

As Jaune and Cardin left the arena floor and disappeared into the locker room that connected with the arena floor, Professor Goodwitch stepped into the centre of the arena, taking notes of the fight between the two boys on her Scroll.

"Hm, I believe we have time for another match." Professor Goodwitch announced as she checked the time on her wristwatch. Looking up, she scanned the stands for a moment before finally deciding on who was to fight next. "How about... Mr Tatharion and Miss Nikos?"

Faen was caught off guard by the professor's declaration. Him versus Pyrrha Nikos? Well, he'd been wishing to face her in combat for a while, it now seemed that fate had decided to grant him that wish. All that needed to happen now was for Grey to properly clean up after herself when she shed her winter fur, then he'd be truly happy with life.

Not wishing to delay his duel with Pyrrha, Faen got up from his seat in the stands and headed off to the locker room.

"Good luck," Faen heard Friesian say to him.

"Kick her ass," were Grey's words of encouragement.

"Do your best," Akagi advised him more than anything else.

Pyrrha had fought in the Combat Class' arena before, and had demonstrated the same peerless skill she had shown in her tournament fights. No one in team FFOG had faced her yet, until now he guessed. Faen wasn't expecting to win against Pyrrha. Her skill as a warrior was on a level above his own, but as was stated before, that was not his desire. What was his desire was to cross blades with _the_ Pyrrha Nikos, and the opportunity had just landed on his lap.

The elf entered the locker room and found Jaune finished changing back into his Beacon uniform.

"Oh, hey there Faen." Jaune greeted him as he neared the human. Faen could sense a glumness in his voice that he tried to hide, no doubt brought about from his earlier defeat. "You're going to fight?"

"Uh huh. Your partner," Faen replied as he opened his locker and began to change into his combat outfit.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune blurted in surprise. "Oh. Well, uh, good luck. She's pretty good."

Faen hummed back in response to Jaune's words. Jaune stood the side, as if waiting for him to give a more vocal response from the elf. Seeing that Faen wouldn't, Jaune nodded and walked out of the locker room.

The elf quickly finished changing and strapped on his weapons. As he took out Gwaedh, Faen contemplated whether he should perform his little pre-battle rite here in the locker room, but decided that he would do it in the arena. In the Elven fencing rules of etiquette, performing the 'hand-slitting' rite before an opponent signified great respect for the opponent, and that the performer did not consider losing to them a stain or loss of honour. Faen respected Pyrrha a great deal as a warrior, and though she would not know its meaning, he felt compelled to go ahead with the idea. He had only ever done the rite to Grey, what was one more person?

Once he was ready, Faen walked out of the locker room and into the class' arena. After a short wait, Pyrrha emerged. She was clad in her brown, red, and bronze combat outfit, Milo in her right hand and Akouo carried on her left arm. Standing a few metres opposite each other, they gave each other a respectful nod as soon as they locked eyes.

As he had done before Initiation, Faen took Gwaedh and ran the sharp edge of the blade against his left palm, then followed it up with a low bow. This action surprised Pyrrha and many of the students sat in the stands, its meaning lost to all except a rare few, Grey being one of those who understood.

A quick look towards the screen showed that he had shaved off only a small sliver of Aura in the act.

In response, and much to his own surprise, Pyrrha copied him. She took Milo and slid one the blade's edges against her left palm, then bowed in much the same way he had done. She had done a couple things incorrectly. Pyrrha was supposed to put her dominant foot in front of her other foot, the index and middle fingers of her weapon hand were supposed to be pointed outwards as she bowed. Other than that, she had correctly bowed towards him and the meaning behind the bow was still valid.

Looking back to the screen, Faen saw that she too had taken a tiny piece of her Aura away.

The two then took up ready stances in preparation of their fight. Seeing that the formalities between him and Pyrrha were done, Professor Goodwitch darkened the lights in the stands and spoke.

"If you are ready... begin!"

The instant the professor finished speaking, Faen rose his left wrist and fired a bolt from his wrist-bow. His opponent, already moving, deflected the bolt with Akouo and then threw the shield, sending it spinning towards Faen as she charged towards him.

Faen twisted his body to the side to avoid the incoming shield. He then charged forward at Pyrrha and raised Gwaedh over his head, ready to swing the sabre at Pyrrha the moment she came close.

They closed the distance quickly. Faen swung Gwaedh at her, aiming his blow at her exposed left, but she leapt over him and swung her own weapon at him as she did. Reacting quickly, Faen was able to parry her attack with a timely swing, the steel of their blades connected with a loud metallic ring. A sound that Faen found to be oddly enjoyable to hear. He turned round in time to see Pyrrha flawlessly land on her feet and catch Akouo as it rebounded off the wall and came back to her.

Pyrrha did not give him a moment to raise his wrist-bow again and rushed at him again. Thrusting Milo forward and transforming it into its javelin form as she did. Faen moved to the side, avoiding her attack, and slashed Gwaedh at her exposed side. Pyrrha seemed to have anticipated it, planned for it in fact, and lowered Akouo in time to block his strike. She turned in her charge, switched Milo back into a sword, and stabbed at his shoulder, the blade striking true and connecting with the Aura that flashed up to protect him.

Faen staggered at the attack, yet was able to catch himself, and turned back to face Pyrrha again.

 _'First strike to her,'_ Faen thought to himself as the two faced each other. They were too close to shoot at each other, so he decided to clash blades with her.

In a sweeping diagonal arc, Faen tried to cut Pyrrha across her torso. If the attack had connected, Gwaedh's edge would have ran up from down from her left shoulder to the right side of her stomach. _If_ it had connected.

Faen's attack did not, for Pyrrha was able to block Gwaedh's steel blade with Milo's. He tried to push her away, but Pyrrha refused to budge. They stood there, their blades locked together, as they tried to make the other give in and pull out.

Pyrrha would not give, and neither did Faen.

Thinking up a quick way to both break their locked position and strike Pyrha, Faen's free hand shot up, grabbed hold of Aglar's grip, and pull it out from its sheathe on his back. Faen did not thrust it at Pyrrha, she would be able to block it in time with her shield, but aimed the tip of Aglar's leaf-shaped blade at her and pulled the trigger under the guard. Aglar switched from a sword to a spear, the blade shooting forward as the grip elongated. His opponent was able to raise Akouo in an attempt to intercept Aglar's blade, but was too slow, and received a stab at her right shoulder.

She recoiled at the attack and pulled away from their locked position. Underneath his mask, Faen smiled at having finally landed a hit. He was barely aware of the small cheer from the stands above that he received. It was no doubt from his team. Faen's concentration was focused squarely on Pyrrha, only their fight mattered right now. All other things were distractions.

Recovering quickly, Pyrrha clashed with him again. Faen vertically swung Gwaedh at her, but she blocked his blade with her shield and responded with a thrust of Milo at his chest. The elf quickly switched Aglar back into its sword form and turned Milo's blade aside with a hasty parry. However, Faen had left himself open to attack, a fact that Pyrrha exploited by bashing Akuo's face against his torso, knocking the elf backwards a couple steps.

As he retreated Faen fired another bolt at Pyrrha, but once again the projectile failed to find its mark as Pyrrha swatted it out of the air with a deft flick of her sword. Faen then rose Aglar above his head and brought it down at Pyrrha. She parried the attack and attempted to knee him in the chest, yet Faen was able to dodge to the side and struck her left cheek with the butt of Gwaedh's grip. Causing the champion to reel to the side at the blow.

Faen quickly returned Aglar to its scabbard, he wasn't really adept at dual-wielding his two swords anyway, and tried to take advantage of the opening he had created by slashing Gwaedh at her exposed back. Pyrrha suddenly turned and deflected his strike with Akouo. The elf pulled his sword back and swung it again, but Pyrrha was able to intercept the blow before it could land.

This went on for a bit. The two trading blows, the metallic ring of their weapons clashing together filling the air of the hall as they tried to outdo the other. Faen summoned all of his guile and strength and skill to defend himself, while at the same time, trying to outwit Pyrrha and land a strike on her. Through either luck or skill, Faen's attacks would strike true, but for every one of his attacks that were successful Pyrrha was able to land three.

As they duelled, a mixture of both frustration and elation was welling up inside Faen the longer he and Pyrrha fought.

The frustration? A natural dislike for the idea of losing, but the feeling was countered by how Faen already knew that his chances of beating Pyrrha were not high. The elation? Simple, he was crossing blades with Pyrrha Nikos and had been able to get a few successful hits. How could he not feel joy at this?

Pyrrha was able to duck under a swing of his sabre, jumped into the air and delivered a kick to his stomach. Faen stumbled backwards and clenched his teeth together, a quick glance up to the Aura monitors showed that he had lost nearly two-thirds of his Aura while Pyrrha still retained three-quarters.

The two backed away from each other, not engaging as they stared at their opponent and attempted to formulate a plan in their heads as swiftly as possible. It was Pyrrha that created a plan and acted on it first.

Transforming Milo into its rifle form, Pyrrha aimed the weapon at him and fired several shots. Making a split second decision, Faen jumped out of the way of the bullets, a couple of them grazing him, and fired his wrist-bow back at Pyrrha. She jumped out of the way, too, avoiding his bolt in the same way Faen had just dodged her bullets. Faen rose his arm again and fired his wrist-bow, aiming at her chest.

Again, Pyrrha blocked his bolt, and sprinted at him. Taking a defensive stance, Faen swatted aside the bullets his opponent shot at him as she approached him, and braced himself for whatever she was about to do. Pyrrha had turned Milo back into its sword form and held it behind her. From the way she held it, Faen guessed that Pyrrha might go for another swing or stab, but he also saw that she could just as easily block or parry.

Faen's eyes narrowed, and positioned himself to look as if he planned to either block or parry. Instead, Faen planned to make a feint, look as if he were about to attack the exposed right side of her torso, then turn Gwaedh and strike at any opening she created as she attempted to defend herself.

Yes, that would work.

To his confusion, as Pyrrha drew closer, she did not raise or move Milo, only rose her shield up so that it was in front of her. With limited time left, Faen rose Gwaedh up to execute his planned feint. Yet, as he was about to execute his plan, Faen saw what it was that Pyrrha had been planning. As soon as she was a few paces away from him, Pyrrha threw herself forward with a great leap. The face of her shield aimed and ready to collide with his torso.

Faen knew he could not avoid the attack, Pyrrha was too close. But Pyrrha was in a similar position, she could not pull away from her attack. Making a split-second decision, Faen braced himself for the impact of their collision, and turned Gwaedh in his hand so that he could stab the tip of her blade at her as soon as possible. The idea to use his Semblance came to mind, he had enough Aura to go through with it.

Though Faen had said that he did not care for winning against her, the prospect of beating _the_ Pyrrha Nikos was too tantalising to pass up.

The impact of Pyrrha's shield colliding with his torso came, the force behind it was harder than he anticipated and it knocked the wind out of him. Yet this was his chance. His chance to best Pyrrha Nikos.

As they were falling to the ground, Faen's free left hand shot forward and grabbed hold of Pyrrha's left arm with a vice like grip. Clenching his teeth together, Faen called upon his reserves of Aura and focused a majority of what he had left into Gwaedh's blade. It was not an easy process, the strain of the effort made Faen clutch the weapon and Pyrrha's arm so tight that his knuckles must have turned completely white and he clenched his teeth even tighter than before. White energy ran up Gwaedh's blade, lighting up the engravings along the steel. It was ready, he had poured enough Aura into Gwaedh's blade. Now was his chance.

Faen hastily aimed and attempted to thrust the tip of his sabre at the champion. But suddenly, Faen felt his back crash onto the arena's floor. He landed hard, the impact caused him to miss his target and stab at the thin air above Pyrrha's left shoulder.

"Match over!" Professor Goodwitch's voice cut through the air.

 _'What?'_ Faen internally yelled in alarm. Looking up to the Aura Monitor, Faen saw that his Aura meter had turned red and was nearly depleted. The match was over and he had lost.

"Damn," Faen whispered to himself. He was not angry. He was, however, disappointed at how he had failed to properly measure the Aura he focused into Gwaedh. Faen resolved to curb his enthusiasim in later fights. Seeing that Gwaedh's blade was surrounded by pale white light, Faen dispelled the stored up Aura causing the light along the dao-styled sword to fade away. Such a waste of Aura.

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha apologised to him as she got onto her feet. Faen wasn't sure what she was saying sorry for, he guessed that Pyrrha had heard him and assumed that he was angry with her or something.

"It's alright," he replied to Pyrrha's apology. "Nothing to say sorry about."

Faen looked up and saw that Pyrrha was offering a hand to help him up. Accepting his defear, Faen clasped hold of Pyrrha's arm, and pulled himself onto his feet with the champion's help. The clack of heels drawing closer to them alerted the two of Professor Goodwitch's approach.

"The two of you did well," the professor congratulated the two. Quickly following up her words of praise with a bit of criticism and advise. "Mr Tatharion, I recommend that you be more mindful of your Aura in the future."

He silently bowed his head to the professor in respense. Pyrrha did not receive any critique or advice, in fact, she had received little else but praise throughout her time in Beacon. Only a few times did she receive any suggestions of self improvement from the professors. Guess she was just that good,eh?

Professor Goodwitch checked her wristwatch again. She nodded when she saw the time and looked up to the stands to address the rest of the class.

"That will be all for today. Remember, regularly practise whenever you can. I expect improvements from everyone by our next class."

And with that, the professor dismissed the class.

Without a word, Faen and Pyrrha left the arena and entered the locker room. They made a bit of small talk as they changed. As they changed back into their uniforms, the two made sure not to look at each other as they changed, an endeavour that was helped by how they changed behind separate rows of lockers. Faen would be lying if he said he was not tempted to sneak a quick glance over to Pyrrha, but was able to control himself and did not look.

Pyrrha quickly finished changing back into her uniform, excused herself, and left to join her team. He had only his tie, vest, and jacket left to put on when he heard a voice suddenly call out to him.

"So, that's your Semblance." The voice belonged to Akagi and came from somewhere behind him. Turning round, he saw the kitsune leaning against a locker. Just like in the Emerald Forest, Faen was certain that he had not heard her approach and was puzzled by that fact. "When you and Nikos were falling, I saw your sword light up. Lines of white energy ran up the blade. Almost thought the blade was glittering like ice for a moment. Is that it?"

"Yes," Faen answered after a small pause. Though they had known each other for a week, the members of FFOG had never divulged to one another just what their Semblances were. Now that he had unwittingly revealed it through his sparring match with Pyrrha, Faen guessed that now was an opportunity to tell his partner. "Where's Grey and Friesian? Grey knows, I might as well tell Friesian."

"It's time for lunch, remember? I told them to go ahead and that we'll catch up," Akagi replied as she pushed herself off the locker she was leaning against and walked up to him. In the time it took Akagi to walk up to him, Faen not only put on his tie, the elf tried to think of what to tell her. He didn't like this kind of conversation, where he had to reveal even more personal aspects of his life to people he barely knew, and needed encouragement from someone he trusted to get him to speak freely.

Still, if Faen was going to reveal his Semblance to Akagi, he would learn hers. She'd snuck on him without his notice again, and he really wanted to understand how she could do that. The knowledge that the kitsune could do that secretly frustrated him.

"How about you? You haven't told me what _your_ Semblance is. Feel like sharing?" Faen posed his question to his partner after putting on his tie.

"You first." Akagi insisted, now leaning against the locker to his left, her arms crossed together. Faen refused to speak, she would tell him what her Semblance was first. The kitsune frowned and her fox ears lowered slightly at his silence, and quickly seeing that he would not speak until she revealed just what her Semblance was, Akagi acquiesced to Faen's unspoken desire.

Akagi did not say a word though, but suddenly disappeared from sight like she had during Initiation. Faen reached out to where the kitsune had stood, careful to aim for her shoulder or arm, but found that she was not there. He then strained to hear or smell her, yet could sense nothing. Just as suddenly as she disappeared, Akagi reappeared to his right, his vest in her hand.

"Mine is a kind of invisibility," Akagi started to explain to him. "I can make myself 'invisible' to not just other people's sight, but a few other senses. No one can hear me or smell me. I do not even leave a shadow if you point a light at me. Quite the Semblance, hmmm?"

She could become invisible to all of the five senses? No wonder she was able to sneak up on him. No wonder he, an elf, a being with a sense of hearing and smell sharper than any human, could not sense her at times. It was because of her Semblance. His initial surprise and admiration for what her Semblance was capable of gave way to concern. If she could become 'invisible' in this way, how often had she snuck around without people's notice? Did she use her Semblance to spy on others? How often did she spy on others if she did? Did she spy on him?

Akagi seemed to sense the questions running through his mind, and spoke again as she helped Faen slip on his vest.

"You needn't worry, Faen. I don't use it to spy on anyone, you have my word." Faen gave a low hum in response to Akagi's words. She sounded sincere in her assurance of not spying on others with her Semblance, but that was a lot to bank on simple words. She was his partner, however, might as well see if he could trust her on this matter. "Now, I've told you what my Semblance is. Tell me yours."

The tone of the kitsune's voice was insistent, and Faen knew that there was no way he could back out of this even if he wanted to. So, starting slowly and quietly, did Faen begin to speak.

"My-my Semblance is a strong and dangerous one," he started. Akagi remained silent and patiently waited as he spoke, she'd been like this when they had their first team discussion. She stared deeply into him while her ears stood tall as he spoke, probably searching for any sign of a lie or evasion in his eyes and speech. "I can focus my Aura into Gwaedh or Aglar, as long as they're in my hand. If I am then able to strike someone, I release the stored up Aura in the weapon's blade. What happens next depends on how much I concentrated into the weapon."

"I see," the kistune quietly spoke. "And what happens if you do strike someone with such an empowered blade?"

"Immense damage to a person's Aura if theirs is activated. If not? Intense paralysing pain in the area where I struck them for an short period of time, injury, or... death." Faen whispered that last part, though, Akagi's heightened sense of hearing allowed her to no doubt hear him. Her eyes widened slightly and her brow rose, Faen wasn't sure whether it was out of shock or something else.

Akagi took a moment to mull over just what he had told her. An expected reaction.

"And you tried to use it on Nikos?" She finally said. Her tone was not accusing in any way, but her use of words invoked a defensive response from the elf.

"I got carried away," Faen sharply snapped at Akagi. Quickly collecting himself, Faen put on his uniform's blazer and turned back to Akagi. "Keep this information about our Semblances between the team. Secrecy about our Semblances will give us an advantage in future spars."

His choice to keep their Semblances secret from others outside of Team FFOG was not just for competitive reasons against other teams, Faen saw it as a test of trust. If they kept the secret, he could trust the others. If not, he could not fully trust them.

"If that's what you wish," Akagi said with a nod. She had another question, he could see it in her eyes, yet she decided to not say anything more and let him finish sorting his uniform out. Faen himself chose not to press the matter, if she had a question in mind, and if it were urgent, she would ask him.

Done changing, Faen started to walk to the door that led out the locker room, Akagi walking closely beside him.

Faen and Akagi made their way to the cafeteria. By the time they reached the building, the place was full of students, the air of the hall filled with the sounds of conversation. Their team was already sat and were eating lunch with Teams RWBY and JNPR.

The two didn't get far into the hall when Grey, no doubt smelling Faen and Akagi's scent, turned towards them. She pointed at them, informing the others of their arrival, and waved over to Faen and Akagi, Ruby following suit. Faen gave a single nod, while Akagi waved back in return. They sat down, taking their seats with the other two members of FFOG, and thanked Grey and Friesian for grabbing some food for them.

"You two took your time. I was starting to wonder what was taking the two of you so long." Grey's lips then curled up into a toothy smile and continued to speak. "Dare I ask what the two of you were doing? A simple heart-to-heart chat? Or... something else?"

Faen rolled his eyes at her, choosing to remain silent than say anything in response. It would only provide Grey ammunition for further teasing if he tried to brush her words off or anything along those lines.

"Did we miss anything?" Akagi asked the others sat at the table, picking up a soda can of 'People like grapes' and popping it open. Faen was confused when he first saw what the soda product's name was, and was still confused by it. Whoever came up with that name must be an odd fellow in Faen's opinion.

"Not really. Cardin made Jaune drop his tray earlier," Friesian replied, pointing a thumb towards the blonde human boy who was poking a fork at some chicken nuggets on his plate. "Oh, and Monica came over and told me to say 'hi' to you Faen."

Faen hummed in response, acknowledging Friesian's words.

Since their first meeting, Faen had gotten to know Monica a bit more. The vampire was usually the one to approach him, and despite himself, Faen chose to converse with her instead of ignoring her. From his conversations with her, Faen learnt that Monica had been raised by nuns, which explained her choice of headdress, after having been left at the doorstep of the nuns' convent while she was still a baby. She didn't know where she came from, and though she denied it, Faen could see that she wanted to know more about her vampire brethren whom she had limited contact with while under the care of the nuns.

The elf guessed that Monica was using him as a way to discover more about her demi-human species in a way that books and the internet couldn't. Faen wasn't sure about it at first, but in the end, he decided to indulge her. He found their conversations to be interesting actually.

"Heck of a fight between you two," Yang remarked. Obviously referring to the sparring match between Faen and Pyrrha. "I was kinda rooting for the both of you."

"Yeah, me too. I wasn't sure who to cheer for, so I hoped that both of you might win." Ruby spoke up, taking a break from gobbling down the chocolate chip cookies on her tray of food.

"Though I do not mean to sound harsh, there was no way you could beat Pyrrha." Weiss added her voice to the mix, her words directed specifically to Faen. If the Schnee had not been talking about Pyrrha Nikos, and if he were in a worse mood, he would have taken offense to her words and might have challenged Weiss to a duel.

Faen did not say a word in response to the humans' words. One, because he was eating, and it was improper to speak with a full mouth. Two, because he didn't really know what to say in response, so chose to remain silent.

"I was hopin' you'd win Faen. Can you imagine if you did? Oh, that would be absolutely incredible." Grey said to him with a light nudge of her elbow to his arm. She then drew in close and whispered into his ear. "Real risky what you pulled at the end. Did you think about what might've happened if it worked?"

"Like I told Akagi, I got carried away. I'll make it never happens again," Faen whispered back to Grey after swallowing the bite of his sandwich that he had in his mouth. The werewolf rose a brow in surprise of this information.

"You told her about it?" She questioned him, the 'it' referring to his Semblance.

"She's our teammate. She needed to know sooner or later. Besides, I now know what hers is," Faen then glanced towards Akagi. The kitsune sending a look back at him, wordlessly telling him through the second they shared each other's gaze that she could hear them. "Have you told Friesian about yours? Has he shared his with you?"

"Huh, not yet. But he must have guessed mine after I used it during Initiation," Grey replied. "Maybe at the next team discussion."

He let out a low hum in acceptance of Grey's words. He would hold her to it, and resumed eating his lunch.

As the elf ate in silence, he quickly looked around at the two other teams that his own was sat with.

It was strange when Faen thought about it. An odd connection had formed between the three teams, a connection that may be considered friendship by some members of the three teams. Not by Faen, though, these humans were still acquaintances to him.

Ruby, leader of Team RWBY, was a kind-hearted human, though a bit naïve at times. His initial skepticism in regards to her role as a student of Beacon was being steadily dispelled. They'd fought in Professor Goodwitch's Combat Class, and Faen had actually struggled in that fight, her speed Semblance and the unique scythe weapon she used being the main cause of that. Her abilities as a leader he was still debating.

His opinion of the Schnee, or rather Weiss as Faen guessed he should really call her, had not changed by much. Faen would admit that she was a skilled combatant and her glyphs were impressive, but she still acted rather bratty. She seemed to be getting along with Ruby a lot better, though, that should count for something he guessed.

Blake had hardly changed, if at all, since they first met. She would participate in whatever her team got involved in, but remained predominantly silent and spoke only on occasion. Faen and Blake had not even spoken a word to one another since Initiation. Faen also noticed that she seemed a bit agitated whenever Grey was nearby, and the werewolf had told Faen that Blake had an odd scent about her.

Yang was... well, she was Yang. Just as Faen had feared, she and Grey had quickly taken to each other and considered each other friends. And by all the gods and goddesses of Heaven and Hell, her puns were atrocious. How her sister, Ruby, put up with Yang's puns Faen could not tell.

Where his thoughts on Ruby were steadily improving, Faen's view of Jaune was declining. As mentioned before, Jaune did not perform well in Combat Class and showed no signs of actually improving since his first embarrassment of a sparring match. Just how Jaune passed the Beacon entrance exam if he fought like this puzzled Faen. In lecture focused classes he fared mildly better, but still underperformed when compared to everyone else in the year group.

Nora Valkyrie, the ginger-haired member of Team JNPR who wielded a freaking grenade launcher-hammer, was quite the character. The best way he could describe Nora was that she was a hyper-active ball of enthusiasm. Never in his life had he met someone so... excitable.

The elf's thoughts on Pyrrha should be clear enough by now. He admired the champion. Respected her above many others he knew in Beacon. Thus far she had proved her prodigious title as the 'Invincible Girl', and was kind of a model student in his eyes.

Still, despite all that, Faen could sense something was amiss with Pyrrha. Something ailed her. It ate away at the champion from within. Faen was not sure what it was, but did not ponder long on it. Whatever was troubling Pyrrha, she would sort it out on her own or with the help of ours.

Ren was rather quiet like Blake, though spoke a little more when compared to the bow-wearing girl. Like with Blake, Faen had exchange not a word with Ren since Initiation. They greeted each other with nods or waves, but that was it. He was apparently a longtime friend of Nora, the two having spent a considerable amount of time together before coming to Beacon, alike to Faen and Grey's own relationship actually.

"So, what do you think we should do this weekend? Anyone got any plans?" Jaune decided to speak up. The human boy then turned to Weiss and asked her. "How about you, Snow Angel? Do you feel liking going anywhere?"

Faen rolled his eyes and let out a quiet groan when he heard Jaune use the nickname he had come up for her. The boy was really drawn to Weiss, however, the feeling was not mutual.

"I say we study," Weiss flatly responded.

"Booooo!" Nora loudly voiced her disapproval of the Schnee's suggestion.

"How about we go to Vale? Most of you here haven't really been to the city," Yang suggested to the others. Not a bad idea if Faen was to be honest.

"Great idea, sis!" Ruby declared, jumping onto her feet in a flash. "I say we have a vote. All in favour say 'aye'."

"Aye!" Yang, Blake, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Pyrrha, Grey, Akagi, and Friesian said. An overwhelming majority.

"What are we? The Parliament of Avalon?" Faen whispered to himself, personally choosing to abstain from voting on this matter. Not that him choosing to approve or disapprove would really matter considering all the votes in favour of going.

"All against say 'nay'," Ruby continued.

"Nay." The Schnee sighed, raising her hand as she voiced her disagreement. She knew her vote didn't matter, that she had lost, but voted anyway.

"The ayes have it! I'm sorry Weiss, but we're all going to Vale on Saturday." Ruby said. Weiss rolled her eyes and sighed, but did not give any protest.

So, they we would be going to the city next weekend? Faen thought the idea to be alright, he had been interested in going to the city for some time. However, he had initially planned to go with his team, and his team alone as part of a bonding session between the demi-humans. Ah well, the elf could work with this, and he might as well use this opportunity to get to know the humans he appeared to hang around better.

The conversations of the humans and his teammates turned to other matters, largely things such as classwork, studying, and leisurely activities. The warning bell for the next lessons sounded, prompting the three teams to finish whatever they were doing and head to their next lesson.

It was Wednesday, they wouldn't have to wait long for the weekend to arrive.

* * *

The weekend did arrive as the next couple days of the school week passed by with little incident. Apart from one. Someone almost set the dorm block on fire, again. Apparently some crazy blonde girl's hair went on fire after a guy touched it.

Saturday arrived and the three teams were on their way to Vale aboard an airship alongside many other Beacon students. They all went in their combat outfits, most of them wore outfits that were fairly civilian to look at anyway and it just felt right to be honest.

After a flight lasting only half-an-hour, the three teams finally arrived at the City of Vale. The place was different when compared to City of Avalon. For one, they drove on the right side of the road, as opposed to Avalon where they drove on the left. Most of the buildings, though similar to those in Avalon, were far more modern in exterior architectural design. The pavement was also smaller, those in Avalon were wider so to accommodate demi-humans with features that made them larger than the average human.

Ruby, Yang, and Friesian took the lead in front of the group, the three being the only ones who had really been to Vale frequently and long enough to know just where to go. Faen stuck round in the back of the group, not out of a desire to be alone, but so that he could keep an eye on all of his companions and make sure they stayed together.

The group walked around for a bit, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. The smells Faen could do without. Grey took photos of interesting sights with her Scroll, explaining that she wanted to send the pictures back home to show that they had been to Vale.

As they walked through Vale, they received looks from passersby, especially the demi-humans. Some of the looks the demi-humans received were of curiosity. Some were looks of astonishment. A few were even disturbed, no doubt because of Friesian. Other onlookers sent them looks of disdain.

Pyrrha also received looks from people the group passed by, her celebrity status no doubt being the cause.

The looks Pyrrha got were of excitement, admiration, and awe. A few, particularly younger people, were bold enough to approach and ask for an autograph or selfie. Fortunately, very few people actually tried, the presence of FFOG, RWBY, and the other members of JNPR dissuading all but the most enthusiastic of people.

After walking through Vale's commercial district for a while, the group decided to have lunch together. Ruby suggested a café that served, in her words, 'the best strawberry cake in the world'. Jaune proposed they head to a fast food restaurant. Nora, a pancake house. Ren, surprisingly, spoke up and put forward a noodle stand run by an old man they passed by earlier. Grey, meanwhile, was strongly in favour of going to a buffet restaurant she heard of when searching for places to go the day before.

The café didn't sound like a bad idea to Faen. The fast food, not so much. He was tempted by the pancake house, and was pretty interested in the noodle stand. He'd always wanted to try ramen. He was, however, heavily opposed to Grey's idea of a buffet restaurant. Grey had a black hole for a stomach, and she'd probably eat all the food in the place.

Finding that they couldn't decide, Ruby suggested they hold another vote. After some deliberation, the group decided to go to the café for they weren't very hungry.

After a walk through Vale's commercial district, they finally arrived at their desired location. The place looked nice, there were a few tables outside. The inside was warm, spacious, and well lit. And there was even a balcony where customers could sit and eat under the sun. The group entered the café and picked three tables on the balcony to sit at. It had to be three tables for there wasn't a table big enough to accommodate twelve people. Their tables were right next to each other, so they could easily talk to one another.

As the team leaders, it was Ruby, Jaune, and Faen that went up to the counter and ordered for the group. FFOG themselves had not ordered much, nor something too heavy. Faen himself ordered a sandwich and lemon iced tea. Friesian wanted a sausage roll and a water bottle. Akagi had a slice of cake and some tea. Grey, meanwhile, had a grilled ham and cheese panini with a cola.

After they got their food, the group started to eat and talked while they ate. Faen did not contribute much to what conversation was made. Choosing to instead quietly eat his sandwich and drink the lemon iced tea he had ordered, while listening to what was said between his team and the others. That didn't mean he refused to say anything when spoken to, the elf would say a word or voice his opinion on something when he felt like it or when asked by one of his companions. Yes, companions. That was probably the best word Faen could think of to describe the people he was currently with.

From listening in on the conversation, Faen learnt more about his companions. For example, Yang and Ruby came from an island east of Vale called 'Patch'. Weiss had a 'cake butler'. The Nora girl loved pancakes, which was not at all obvious from how she ate them everyday. _Everyday_. And Jaune apparently had seven sisters. That last one was quite the bit of news, and it had in fact stunned everyone who was on the balcony into silence when they heard it.

Faen quickly finished his food and excused himself from the table, finding that he needed to use the toilet, and headed off to the men's room. To his relief, the toilet did not smell absolutely awful, and there was no one else inside. As he was relieving himself at one of the urinals, Faen heard someone enter the toilet moments after he had entered.

It was Friesian, the dullahan walking into one of the cubicles. Neither of them said anything a word to the other. Faen finished and began to wash his hands, Friesian following a few moments after.

It was as the two were washing their hands that the silence was broken and conversation struck.

"Hey, Faen. Mind if I ask you a question? One about Grey?" Friesian's head asked from his body's belt, his request catching the elf's attention. Normally, Faen would never think to make conversation in a toilet, yet since this was Friesian and it seemed a bit urgent, he decided to hear the dullahan out.

"Go ahead."

"I know Grey's a werewolf, and you two have known each other for a while. Just... uh, how frequently does she become the Wolf?" Friesian whispered to Faen.

"You haven't asked her?" The elf replied.

"Uh, I feel it better to ask you about it," the dullahan admitted to Faen. "That and 'cus you and I haven't spoken a lot, so yeah."

Faen took a moment to think on how to answer his teammate. Was he nervous to ask Grey about the Wolf? Faen couldn't fault Friesian if that was the case, even between him and Grey the subject of the Wolf was not something they liked to talk about. It would be better if it was Grey and Friesian that talked about it, yet Faen guessed that he might as well tell Friesian some information.

"Not too often, though I still suggest that you be careful. If you see any signs that she might turn into the Wolf, call me over as soon as possible." Faen said to Friesian as he finished washing his hands and started to dry them. He would tell Friesian what the signs of a werewolf in the stage of becoming the Wolf was at a later time, if he didn't already know.

"Right," the dullahan replied, drawing the word out as he too finished washing his hands. "What if-What if I can't reach you? What if we all got separated while on the field and I have no means of communicating with you?"

Faen did not immediately respond, Friesian's words making the elf pause. The situation Friesian had described was something both he and Grey dreaded. Fate had been kind enough for such a thing to never happen, for someone Grey knew, be they him or any of her family members, was always around for her when she did turn to the Wolf. Werewolves were less likely to be violent and attack people when someone they were close with was present, it was one of the reasons why he'd gone to Beacon with Grey.

"Faen? You still there?" The dullahan's voice interrupted Faen's thoughts, causing him to blink a couple times before turning to Friesian. A slightly concerned look on Friesian's face. It must have looked like had blanked out for a moment.

"If that happens, don't provoke her." Faen quickly began, turning his attention back to his hands and focusing on them as he held them below an electronic dryer. "Never turn your back to her, and make sure to always keep her in your line of sight. But also get close to Grey, become her... friend. If you do, that'll lessen the chances of her attacking you while as the Wolf. She might also listen to you."

"I see. Anything else?" Friesian asked him.

"Just that you pray such a thing never happens," Faen responded as he was done drying his hands. Restraining werewolves was something people also did when they realised that they were about to transform into the Wolf, but Faen and Grey's family had never done that to her.

Friesian moved over to take his turn drying his hands, and as he did, the dullahan spoke up again.

"Eh, one more question. If you don't mind?" Friesian said to Faen, but gave Faen no time to answer whether or not he minded, and went on to say. "It isn't a problem... is it?"

The elf looked at Friesian's head, then to the space where it would have occupied if he were not a dullahan. Faen did not want to tell Friesian that he did indeed him uncomfortable to look at, he wasn't sure how Friesian would react to the information. Yet, it now seemed that he had no choice but to tell him.

"Me being half-human?" Friesian spoke again.

One more time did Faen pause before giving his reply. Friesian had _not_ been referring to the unnerving fact that he was a body that carried around its own head? He'd been talking about his heritage as a demi-human and a human?

Faen was actually relieved that Friesian was talking about that instead.

Where children from human and faunus couples were uncommon, offspring from unions between demi-humans and the previous two races were actually rare. Considering that demi-humans had only just revealed themselves to the world eighty years ago, and that most of them remained in the Enclaves, it was understandable why the numbers of people like Friesian were so low. The same reason why there were so few people like this, was why they were treated with suspicion and even scorn from humans, faunus, and demi-humans.

Their split heritage meant their loyalties were divided, and they were exposed to cultures outside of the Enclaves, which was why they were treated that way. One of the negatives of the demi-humans' years of isolation showing through the treatment of part demi-humans. Faen admittedly knew a few people who possessed such attitudes towards part demi-human, but he himself had nothing personal against them, and was quick to answer Friesian.

"No. It is no issue," Faen assured his only other male teammate. The elf then glanced his eyes towards Friesian's headless body and thought. _'But your headless body sure as hell is!'_

"Thanks man!" The dullahan smiled and patted Faen on the back, unaware of the uncomfortable look Faen had sent his empty shoulders.

The thought of asking Friesian about his Semblance came to mind, but the two males of team FFOG had spent a while in the toilet already, and the others must be wondering what was taking them so long. So, Faen decided not to ask, it didn't seem like Friesian had any other questions or even wanted to say anything else anyway.

Done with their business in the toilet, the two left the men's room together and saw that the others were done eating their food, and were standing by the café entrance.

"About time you guys! We've been waiting here for two minutes," Yang said to Faen and Friesian once they came close.

"Hey, at least it didn't start raining while you waited." Friesian responded to the blonde. That would have been unfortunate, but thankfully for them, there were only a few clouds in the sky. None of them grey rainclouds.

"Alright then, should we be going on our way?" Ren spoke up. Everyone agreed and returned back to their little sightseeing walk around Vale.

The group spent the next few hours walking around Vale, even buying a few school supplies and other things in a couple shops they passed by, before heading back to the airport for the airship back to Beacon at 4:30pm. In summary, it had been a bit of an enjoyable day, and he'd learnt more about those he had come to associate with.

As they sat in their seats aboard the airship, Faen privately admittedly to himself that he wouldn't mind doing this kind of thing again. Going out as a group and learning more about one another as they talked. Maybe they could do this again in a few weeks, but if they did, Faen hoped it would just be Team FFOG. It was not out of prejudice towards the humans that Faen wanted to exclude them from a second outing, he just wanted his team to better know each other alone. Fewer people would also make him more open and talkative.

Looking out a window, the elf decided to let his mind relax and closed his eyes. He needed to rest for a while, may that's how he'd spent tomorrow.

* * *

As the group were on their way back to Beacon, Headmaster Ozpin was sat in his office atop Beacon Tower, waiting patiently for the person he had dialled to answer their Scroll. He didn't have to wait too long, and the person on the other side of the call finally answered.

"Ah, Headmaster Ozpin! How are you?." A low male voice answered, the long distance between Ozpin and the person who had spoken from the other side of the call causing a slight bit of interference in the connection.

"Good afternoon, King Oberon. I am fine," Ozpin replied. The person he was speaking to was none other than Oberon, Faery King of Avalon. The Enclave's constitutional head-of-state.

Back in the second half of the Great War, it was Oberon's grandfather that lead the hosts of Avalon out of the Enclaves and to the aid of Vale and Vacuo. He had not initially desired to interfere in the Great War, following the Enclaves' age-old policy of isolationism, but the rising numbers and attacks by the Creatures of Grimm forced his hand. He'd fought in the frontlines of the war, several accounts claiming he was present with the Warrior King of Vale at the Great War's final battle. After the war, he aided in the post-war recovery efforts, primarily helping convince other Enclaves to reveal themselves to the world.

"Give me a moment. I want to speak to you face-to-face," Oberon abruptly said to the headmaster. Seconds later, the screen of Ozpin's scroll changed from a picture of the Faery King, to a live feed from the demi-human's own Scroll. "Do you see me? Ah yes, good! Thank you Puck, may you please leave us for a moment?"

The demi-human man in Ozpin's scroll was in the middling-years of his life and wore a forest green suit with a white shirt and black tie. Oberon had fair skin, bright sky blue eyes, well-kept dark-brown hair and a short beard. Yet, what stood out the most about Oberon were his demi-human features, which were extraordinary even by his people's standards.

The Faery King was a unique demi-human appearance-wise, and though a member of fairy race, he possessed features that made him stand apart from his kin. From his back he had the great insect-like wings of all fairies, but alongside that, he had a pair of deer like antlers rising from the sides of his head, and his forearms appeared to be made from wood and ended with claw-like fingers. The same went for his lower legs.

No one understood why Oberon and his family were so unlike the rest of Fairy-kind. No one.

Countless theories had arisen over the years in an attempt to answer it. Archeological excavations of ancient demi-human ruins provided evidence of Fairies appearing much like Oberon in some point in history, but there was still disputes as to why only Oberon and the rest of the royal family of Avalon were so different. There was clearly something regarding genetics at play here, but why it so confused many.

Oberon's unique appearance was not Ozpin's concern right now. There were far more important things he wanted to discuss with the Faery King of Avalon.

"The students from Avalon are performing well in Beacon," Ozpin informed the Faery King. "You and your Martial School Mentors must be proud of them."

"Their deeds honour us all here in Avalon," Oberon said with a proud, self-important smile as he crossed his legs and puffed up his chest. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss? You do not normally call me for idle chatter."

Ozpin took a sip from his mug. The Faery King's brow twitched slightly in annoyance of how he was being kept waiting by the human.

"Any news on the Queen?" The Headmaster asked Oberon as he withdrew his mug from his lips, their were on a private channel and could discuss such matters with a measure of freedom. The Faery King was one of the members of the Order, so he was privy to Ozpin's war against the Queen and certain secrets about Remnant. On the other side of the connection, Oberon sent sideways looks to something offscreen, most likely towards the doors of whatever room he was in.

"Nothing... concrete. I'm certain you are aware of the strife between the Ogres and the Centaurs?" Oberon finally answered. "My agents tell me someone might be escalating tensions between them. There have already been several arrests in the town of Selene. Nothing major, just a few fist fights in public. But there are fears that things might get worse."

Ozpin silently took in the information Oberon had relayed to him. Ogres were a race that were fierce in temperament and large in physique, getting into a fist fight with one was not pretty. Centaurs were little better if he were to be honest, having a history of being rowdy troublemakers throughout the recorded history of demi-humans. If there was something both shared, it was their pride. Something that the Queen might be exploiting to cause disorder and chaos in Avalon if it got worse, but to what ultimate end?

"Apart from that, there is nothing else." Oberon continued, before reaching out and taking a drink from a glass of cognac. "Anything else you wish to speak of?"

"No, that will be all for now, my friend. Thank you," the Headmaster thanked Oberon with a courteous bow of his head. The Faery King gave a low hum in response and went on to cut the connection between their two Scrolls, leaving the Headmaster alone with his thoughts.

A number of things ran through Ozpin's mind after his brief conversation with Oberon had ended. The situation at Avalon, the coming Vytal Festival, his long war against the Queen, and his duties as Beacon's Headmaster to name a few.

Speaking of his duties as the Headmaster of Beacon, an alarm went off on his Scroll, alerting the man that there was an important appointment he needed to attend. Saturday afterschool detention. Sure one of the professors could have taken up this task, but Ozpin believed he should do it. It meant he could spend time and talk with some of the students, and who knows, he may be able to impart a few words of wisdom and help the students.

With that in mind, Ozpin got up from his desk, picked up his cane and made his way off out of his office.

* * *

 **Oberon, Faery King: Reference to the character Oberon from Shakespeare's _'Midsummer Night Dream'_.**

 **Alright with that out of the way,** **I'll see you all when I next see you.**


	7. Counselling

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello again everyone.**

 **Sorry this took so long to get out, again. Actually had to rewrite this chapter while I was third of the way done with it, because the idea I initially had for it just did not work for me.**

 **Anyways, the chapter after this will be during the Jaunedice arc, and FFOG's involvement in it.**

 **I will see you all when I next see you.**

* * *

A new day had begun, and Faen had just finished changing into his uniform. It had been a week since Faen's spar with Pyrrha, and FFOG's outing with Teams RWBY and JNPR. Not a lot of major incidents of great note had happened in that time. There were a few, but they weren't world-shaking or greatly life-changing for Faen.

As he was fixing his uniform, Faen cast a glance towards the rest of his team. Akagi was idly flicking through news articles on her Scroll, Friesian was combing his head's hair into his favourite slicked back style, while Grey was just sat on her bed looking tired. Truth is, Grey was tired, for she'd had a restless night due to a bad dream or nightmare. Most probably reliving a night as the Wolf.

For today they had the early part of the morning free of lessons, but that did not mean they had nothing to do. There was the usual studying they had to attend to, but for Faen, he had an appointment to keep.

"You heading out?" Friesian called to Faen as he was making for the door. The dullahan propping up his head with one hand to look at the elf.

"Yes, I have that one-to-one session with Professor Taupe in a few minutes." Faen replied, looking towards the clock on the wall, he saw that he had ten minutes left before his meeting with the professor. He really needed to hurry up and get moving.

That he had to walk all the way to her office was going to be a pain to Faen.

"Ah, right. See ya later!" The dullahan said with a wave of goodbye from his free hand.

"Bye!" Akagi added, sending him a quck sideways look before returning her eyes to the article that she had been reading.

Grey gave Faen a halfhearted wave and said a farewell in a mumbling voice. It had been weeks since she transformed into the Wolf, it would be best for everyond if they kept their eyes on her. He'd thankfully hammered that into his other teammates' minds, still, he could not be too careful.

Seeing that the other members of FFOG would be alright, Faen opened the door and left his team's dorm. As he made his way out of his dorm block and to the building where Professor Taupe's office resided, Faen's mind turned to the gorgon that he would be meeting.

Professor Kallisto Taupe. One of the first Demi-Human Huntresses of Remnant. One of the last survivors of the Lost Enclave, Themyscira. and was in fact a graduate from Beacon.

As part of her job as Beacon's supevisor and administrator for Demi-Human matters, Professor Taupe acted as a counsellor to demi-human students, and provided advice or information on demi-humans whenever needed. She was also responsible for making sure that said students, a large majority of whom were from semi-isolationist Enclaves, were adapting to new cultural environment of the Kingdoms.

These sessions were scheduled once every fortnight and were really meant to last up to fifteen minutes. Nothing much had happened in the first one he'd attended, the professor had him fill out and confirm a few bits of personal information and went over a few simple things with him.

She also acted as a substitute teacher whenever a professor was not capable of attending their lessons. She had her own class to teach, but it was voluntary, and were apparently often delayed due to a lack of 'specimens'. Faen had no idea what 'specimens' meant, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. That the Headmaster allowed these lessons to take place meant that the 'specimens' were probably nothing questionable.

He hadn't volunteered for them, for he was still debating on whether or not it was worth attending, and the lack of details about the class was another reason why he hesitated.

Finally arriving at the door to the gorgon professor's office, Faen knocked on it and quickly received a response.

"Come in," Professor Taupe's voice called out to him from the other side. Opening the door, Faen found the professor sitting at her desk in very much the same position he saw her when he came for his first one-to-one session. She wore the same three-piece suit that he first saw the professor wear. Her jacket was hung on the back of her chair, and her mask still worn over her face. "Mister Tatharion, you're right on time. Please, sit down."

As he walked to the vacant chair in front of the professor's desk, he cast quick glances towards the rest of the office. It was moderate in terms of size, but had enough space for a desk, a bookshelf, and two filing cabinets. There was a lone window to the right of Taupe's desk, giving a good view of the Academy's grounds and the docks could be seen as well. Her desk had a computer, a picture frame, a fresh mug of coffee, and was littered with papers about goodness knows what. A few of the papers the professor was currently going over.

Faen took his seat and waited for Taupe to finish whatever it was that she doing. He didn't need to wait long, for the professor put aside her papers, took out a pen and small notepad. She then went to a filing cabinet and took out one specific folder, one with his name written on the front. The professor placed the folder on the table, sat down on her chair, and faced him. Her cyan eyes staring at him from behind the eyeholes of her clay mask. The snakes that writhed on her head all focusing intently on him.

It was common consensus among the students of Beacon that Professor Taupe was incredibly unsettling to hold a conversation with, and was a walking nightmare for ophiophobes - those people with a fear of snakes. Faen was not afraid of snakes, but the way that the snakes on the professor's head were looking at him was really unnerving even for him. The snakes seemed to notice his discomfort, so all but two turned away from the elf and focused on something else in the room.

"Now, let's begin. How have you been since our last session? Have there been any complications? Are you still getting used to being in a Kingdom?" The professor asked Faen, her eyes intently scanning his face.

"I'm alright, not much to say really." The elf replied to the professor, doing his best to avoid the gazes of her snakes. His answer was hardly satisfactory for Professor Taupe, it was obvious in the way that her eyes narrowed, but what he said was the truth. That and because he was never one who was good with expressing his personal thoughts and feelings to new people.

"Alright? Is that all you have to say about how you feel?" Taupe continued to question the elf.

"Yes," Faen quickly, and truthfully, replied to the professor. Again, his _very_ sparse answer did not seem to please the gorgon sat opposite him, but she seemed not at all bemused by the way he responded. She had probably come to expect it after their first session, and because of how the professor had to put up with annoyingly quiet students like him before.

Taupe did not push further with that subject and just scribbled down something down on that notepad of hers. No doubt it was about his lacklustre answer to her questions. He could have given her a much meatier answer, but he did not know what words to put in it so his answer could have been. Once the professor was done jotting down whatever notes she was writing, Taupe looked back up at him and continued on with his session with a new round of questions.

"How about your role as a team leader? Are you still getting used to the position? We've spoken about this before, but you didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about it when the Headmaster made you leader of Team FFOG."

The gorgon professor was correct when she said that he was not 'particularly enthusiastic' about his position. He still felt the same to a slight degree. But the Headmaster had made his decision, and Faen accepted it. Since he'd received and accepted his position, he'd done and would continue to do his best to live up to the trust the Headmaster had placed on him. But was _his_ best the best for the team?

Faen did not know how he could answer that, both to himself and if a person were to ask. But he could answer Taupe' question on how he was finding his role as Team FFOG's team leader.

"I think I am accustomed to it now." Yet again, another short and truthful answer from the elf. And again, Professor Taupe nodded at his response and wrote something down on her notepad. At least this time his answer was not made up of a single letter.

"Hm, let's now talk about your fellow students. How about your teammates? I understand you are already well acquainted with Miss Ulric, but what of Mister Bones and Miss Akagi?" Professor Taupe now asked him. This question Faen had anticipated, for it was a logical query to put forward whether or not he was team leader.

Faen was more than 'well acquainted' with Grey, that was certain. He had come to trust Friesian and Akagi more and more, and he didn't need Grey to tell to speak to them a bit during conversations with them. Faen had also come to steadily like the two other members of FFOG, despite some quirks they may have.

"They are reliable, and I've grown used to them now. I... think... I can call them friends in the future." Was Faen's answer to Taupe, who went on to write on her notepad again. There, a much longer answer to her questions, and he was not lying when he said he could call Friesian and Akagi friends.

"What of the two teams your's seems to spend much of their time with? Teams RWBY and JNPR? How are your relations with them?" Taupe inquired.

Now that was an interesting and unexpected question in Faen's opinion. Had his team been hanging around Teams RWBY and JNPR so much that the gorgon opposite him had taken special notice of it? They must have if the professor was asking him about it. Faen was not against the interaction with RWBY and JNPR, and was quick to answer the professor's question.

"They are acquaintances. Decent ones who I do not mind interacting with."

"Not friends?" The gorgon tilted her head at this sending him a very questioning look. "Is it because they are Kingdomers? Or is it for some other reason?"

Faen paused for a moment before he answered the professor's question. Seeking to carefully choose his answer before speaking it this time.

He did not mean to sound cold when speaking about the humans, they had not given him reason to shun or distrust them. Well, Faen did not really trust Weiss to much because of her background as a Schnee, but that was beside the point. He just felt that he could not call any of them 'friends' just yet, not even Ruby or Pyrrha. The former was the one Faen was the closest to out of all the group and the latter the one he respected the most.

He could call them friends, just not yet.

"We'll come back to this later, if you want. Is that alright with you?" Taupe suggested to Faen after he did not say a word for a few moments. Faen nodded. and Taupe let the matter be for now.

The gorgon then opened up his folder and checked a page that was contained within. After scanning its contents for a few silent seconds, Taupe set the folder down and faced him again.

"Hm, now, how about your small grudge against Cardin Winchester? I heard he has done you insult a few times recently. Have you done anything or do you plan to do something about that?" Professor Taupe now asked him, actually startling Faen with this new line of questions. Why was she bringing this up of all things? The professor noticed it and leaned forward in her chair, looking deeply into his eyes and she continued to speak. "Mister Tatharion, I have access to your personal records from Vigil. In them, I counted at least fifteen occasions during your last year there where you duelled another student over an insult or slight of honour. That you haven't duelled Mister Winchester over his insults toward you is surprising."

Really? Over twenty times? Faen was a bit taken aback by that information, for he hadn't been keeping count. Still, she had asked him a question, so he had to provide an answer. Whether he wanted to or not.

"My team... is against me doing so." He admitted, trying his best to not sound awkward or resentful about it.

"And why's that?" Taupe was quick to ask him. Faen inhaled deeply before he answered that, for this was a tough one. Not because of any difficult he might have with coming up with words for the answer. No, that three letter question was tough for the elf because he did not like the answer he had to give.

"Grey thinks it an unhealthy habit of mine, to challenge others to duels over insults. The others agree with her." Faen replied at last, not meeting the professor's eyes as he spoke. He did not like it.

"Would you normally listen to what Miss Ulric has to say about your 'duels of honour'?" Taupe quickly jumped in as soon as he was finished. "From your record, you never seem to have in the past. Could it be your position as team leader gives you pause?"

Faen took a moment to think about it. Ever since he had become the leader of Team FFOG, he had noticed a slow but steady change in himself. Change was bound to happen, yet, he had not anticipated how he would change. Leaders were meant to lead by example and be strong in Faen's eyes, and as a team leader, Faen wanted to be an example to his teammates. Not something Faen would normally want to do or be.

Cardin's insults and acts of bullying did anger him, yet to give into rage so easily would be a show weakness in his eyes, and Faen couldn't allow that. If he wasn't team leader, Faen would have challenged Cardin on the first day after Initiation, but his position forced him to reconsider. Not at all helped by how Grey had told the others of this habit of his, resulting in all of them discouraging him from challenging the human. Akagi, though, seemed less opposed to his habit, having dropped hints that she supported the idea of him challenging Cardin and was willing to back him up if needed.

That did not mean he had not fought Cardin, the two had sparred in Combat Class, and the elf took great relish whenever he defeated the human. Since the start of the year, he and Cardin had sparred a total of six times. Fives times in solo duels, while the sixth was during a sparring match between FFOG and CRDL. Faen had lost only once against Cardin during one of the solo spars due to his own overconfidence. He made sure to correct that failing by their next spar, which he handily won.

Yet defeating the human brute in spars during Combat Class was not satisfying enough for Faen. Despite his own principles and the thoughts of his team, he _wanted_ to challenge Cardin. He _desired_ it!

"Mister Tatharion?" Professor Taupe's voice interrupted his thoughts. The elf looked to the professor's clay mask, and saw a slightly concerned look in the eyes behind her mask. He must have blanked out or something.

"Possibly," Faen finally answered Professor Taupe's question after collecting himself.

Professor Taupe nodded at his response and wrote something down on her notepad. After she was done, it was now her turn to pause before saying or doing anything else. The look in her eyes told Faen that she was contemplating something, and the two snakes that were still looking at Faen hissed something to her. He'd seen this happen from afar, but to see this happen while up close and while alone with the gorgon was more than a little weird to the elf. That he did not know what the snakes were saying, but the professor did, unnerved him even more.

The gorgon listened to whatever the snakes were hissing to her, nodded at them, and turned her attention back to Faen. There was something in the professor's eyes that Faen could not identify, but he ignored it and prepared for what she had to say to him now.

"Though it might be too early to ask this question, but do you have any idea of what you want to do if you graduate from Beacon? What exactly are your plans for when or if you become a Huntsman?"

Faen looked away from the professor and turned his eyes down to the ground. This was a quite unexpected and difficult question to answer than the rest, for he did not know what he wanted to do once he graduated from Beacon. Truthfully, Faen had not even come to Beacon with the intention of becoming a Huntsman. It was out of loyalty to his friendship with Grey that he came here, for it was her dream to become a Huntress. Faen would be a Huntsmen, he was here he might as well commit, but what exactly he wanted to do as a Huntsmen was the question that gnawed at him.

Seeing the expectant look Professor Taupe was sending him, Faen decided that he might as well answer the professor.

* * *

Back with the rest of Team FFOG, they were in still in their dorm, preoccupying themselves by studying for the History class they had after lunch today.

Grey was a lot more awake then when she got out of bed, a hot shower and quick breakfast of instant noodles helping her with that. The werewolf was sat at her desk and was going over her notes as well as 'borrowing' some of Faen's notes. Yes, Faen's notes. He wasn't using them right now, and it wouldn't hurt anyone if she copied three or four paragraphs. Right?

Akagi was sat on her bed, all sorts of notes and textbooks strewn all over it. On her lap was a notebook on which she was scribbling down even more notes. All of what she was writing on her book and what was on her notes were written in kanji, so Grey would not be 'borrowing' her notes any time soon. The pages of her notebooks were also decorated with a few elegant doodles and drawings done in pencil, many of which were of many-tailed foxes.

Friesian was at his desk and was doing the same as the two other members of FFOG. His head resting on the surface of his desk, his eyes scanning the pages of his notes, while his body would turn a page once he was done with them. Though, amongst the notes on his desk was an open motoring magazine, so he wasn't completely focused on studying. He was still studying, so the presence of one magazine shouldn't be too big of a distraction.

They had been fairly quiet since Faen left for his appointment with Professor Taupe. This, of course, would change. Teens left alone in a room together rarely stayed quiet for long.

"So Grey, you ever gone out with someone?" Friesian suddenly asked the werewolf in the room. Grey and Akagi's ears perked up when they heard the dullahan speak, the two a bit curious as to why Friesian had chosen that subject of all things.

"Matter o' fact, yes. Yes I have. You interested?" Grey replied, tilting her head and raising a brow at Friesian. She herself did not sound at all interested.

"Nah, I just want something to talk about." Friesian was swift to reply, waving a hand in dismissal. Nothing in his voice or on his face betraying any lie behind his words. "Anyway, is it someone we know?"

"Faen," Grey absentmindedly replied without looking up from the notes before her. After a couple seconds, Grey started to feel like two pairs of eyes were staring at her, and looked up from her and Faen's notes to see what was the matter. When she cast her eyes on the other members of FFOG, the werewolf saw that Friesian and Akagi were sending her completely stunned looks. "Uh, something wrong?"

The two were still stunned by Grey's words, and it took them a few moments to get out of it and finally respond to the werewolf.

"Wait, Faen? As in our team leader Faen?" Akagi asked her, a noticeable hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Mask wearing elf Faen?" Friesian questioned Grey, a visibly perplexed expression on his face.

"Uh, yeah. Is that so hard to believe?" Grey responded with an amused chuckle at the almost confused way the two were acting, but was quick to notice how they were still in a state of surprise at her words. Friesian and Akagi were seriously astonished to learn that she and Faen had been together at one point in time.

Grey quickly realised that she really should have guessed that they would react this way. It had been the same way her and Faen's families had reacted.

Both were completely stunned into silence by the revelation, just as Friesian and Akagi had been. It had taken the werewolf's family about two weeks to come to grips with the idea and acknowledge that it was happening, while Faen's seemed to quietly accept their choice from the get-go. Still, that did not mean their families approved of Grey and Faen's relationship.

Faen's parents did not seem to treat her any differently and never once voiced any objections against them being together, but she had felt them eyeing her when she wasn't looking. Silently judging her every action whilst she and Faen were together. Was it because she was a werewolf?

Her own family had been less subtle, and had openly voiced their surprised thoughts about the whole affair. For some reason, Grey's own older sister was the one who was the most vocally against the two being an item. Grey could understand why her father and mother did not approve, but her sister? She and Faen had barely interacted with each other, just what did she have against Faen?

"Well... yes. Faen just doesn't seem to be the kind of person who'd be interested in going out with... well, anyone." Akagi replied to Grey. The werewolf knowing that the kitsune across the room from her was definitely right about that.

"Is it weird that I can't even imagine that happening? You know. You two being together. Which one of you asked the other out in the first place?" Friesian said to Grey, struggling to wrap his head around their conversation's new and unexpected subject.

Grey shook her head at them, slightly amused at the way the two were still perplexed by the knowledge of her and Faen's relationship. At least they were taking this better than their family's. She had been to one to pop the question to Faen two years ago, and she had no idea how he would have answered back then. And boy, had that been an awkward experience for her.

* * *

 _~ Two Years Ago ~_

 _Grey and Faen were sitting quietly in their dorm at Vigil Martial School. The elf was reading a book, while Grey was scarfing down her third sausage roll._

 _"Hey, Faen! Mind if I ask you something?" Grey asked the elf once she was done eating her food._

 _"Nothing stopping you," Faen responded before setting down his book, saving the page he had been reading with a bookmarker, and turning to his best and only friend in Vigil._

 _She had his full attention, and it was now the time to ask him the big question. A question she had been pondering on whether or not to ask for weeks now. A question that could change how the two interacted with each other forever._

 _"Would you... Would it be okay if... Oh boy, uh... Is it..." The werewolf looked to Faen as she struggled to formulate the right words she wanted to say. The elf was quietly sitting there, patiently waiting for her to ask him whatever was on her mind._

 _Gods damn him! The way that he was just staring at her was somehow making this even more difficult than it already was. How was that even possible? She had rehearsed and prepared for this several days in advance, and she was messing it all up just like how she'd screwed up in a few written exams in the past._

 _"Do you... wanna... go out together?" Grey finally let out after a bit, sounding a bit too sheepish for her liking. She was a Werewolf, not some damn sheep. So she put a bit more energy and resolve into what she said next. "Together in the, uh, way that Jet and Lucina are?"_

 _Faen furrowed his brow at her question, and seemed not to get what it was that she had asked of him. She didn't need to write it down on a whiteboard, did she? Jet and Lucina were two other demi-humans attending Vigil, and the two were currently an item, what Grey wanted her and Faen to be for a bit._

 _"'Jet and Lucina'? Aren't they...?" The white-haired elf paused mid-sentence. Finally seeming to understand just what it was that Grey was talking about._

 _Now was the moment of truth._

 _Faen looked down towards the floor and thumbed his chin, thinking over Grey's request. At least he had not outright rejected it. Still, that did not mean he would say yes, and Grey was mentally crossing her fingers._

 _She liked Faen, the werewolf could not deny that. Was it because he was her only friend just like she was his? It sure as hell contributed to her attraction for Faen. Sure his personality might need a bit of work, but she'd largely gotten used to him and many of his ways, and he wasn't bad to look at either. Grey asked Faen out now because she wanted to see if they could work, to see if a future with the two as an item might be worth pursuing._

 _"Sure," Faen finally and slowly said after a prolonged moment of silence._

 _Hearing that, Grey was glad that Faen had seemingly accepted, but was a bit concerned by the way he responded. She understood that Faen was not a person who was good with words a lot of the time, even when it came to conversing with her, but his response just felt a bit... off to her. Was that all he had to say? This was his reaction to becoming an item to the only person he called a friend? His rather cool expression was not helping her either._

 _"Uh. Is that it? Are you agreeing with the idea of... you and me?" Grey asked Faen, desiring confirmation for what the elf had said._

 _"Yes," Faen replied. The tone of his voice not changing at all as he spoke and rose a brow at the werewolf's question. "Are you having second thoughts?"_

 _"Huh? No, no, no, no, no! It's-It's nothing!" Grey was quick to say, not wishing to endanger her newly established relationship with Faen before it could properly take flight._

 _Well, that went better than Grey had expected._

* * *

~ Present Day ~

"Well! That-That could have gone _far_ worse." Akagi remarked once Grey was finished reciting what had happened when she asked Faen out.

"Oh yeah. Way worse," Grey agreed with the kitsune.

"So... dare I ask if you guys are still a thing?" Friesian now asked the werewolf. A bit unsure with himself in whether or not it was the right decision to ask that question in the first place. "I don't see you two getting 'cuddly' with each other, or anything like that."

Grey's face fell slightly at her partner's question, and looked to the dorm's door as she answered the question. The others could already tell what the werewolf was about to say, but let her carry on

"No, we stopped after three months. It just didn't work out, and the two of us thought it best for the two of us to just stay friends." The werewolf admitted. "We did not do anything serious anyway. The time we spent together honestly felt no different from when were just friends."

An uncomfortable silence then descended upon the three members of FFOG. Now things had gotten _really_ awkward. At least Faen and Grey were on good terms with each other and still friends, certainly turned out a lot better than other couples after a break up. For example, Akagi had a sister who refused to stay in the same room with one of her exes after catching him cheating on her.

Finding the silence to be a bit too unbearable, and very awkward, said kitsune spoke up. Seeking to change the conversation topic to something, anything other than what they had been talking to.

"So, uh, anyone else got something we can talk about?"

"Um, I got a motorbike. Mind if I talk about that?" The dullahan member of FFOG suggested to the others.

"Sure, why not?" Grey said with a shrug. She wasn't really interested in his motorbike, the werewolf not having a head for that kind of stuff. But, it was something they could talk about while they waited for Faen to come back to the dorm. Certainly something better to talk about than her past relationship with Faen.

* * *

Elsewhere, Faen had just left Professor Taupe's office and was heading back to his team's dorm.

He had told Professor Taupe of his uncertainty in regards to what he wanted to do if he graduated from Beacon. She had told him that it was alright, and that many other first-years students were not entirely sure of what they wanted to do after they left Beacon. The same went for a few students who were about to graduate. The professor then told him to leave the thought be for a while, and that she'd only bring it up again when she felt he was ready or something.

That she'd asked that question was a bit odd to him. Faen would have thought that Professor Taupe would ask it later on, maybe in his second or third year in Beacon. That would have been more appropriate in his opinion. Was there a special reason or hidden motive behind the professor's curious choice of question?

Was the question posed out of genuine concern? Or had she asked it as a form of test maybe?

Whatever the reason was, the professor had told him to leave it be, so he would. For now.

As he made his way out of the main building and back to the dorm blocks, Faen took a moment to look around. There were other students out and about; some studying, others were on their way to lessons, while a few were capitalising on what free time they had to relax or spend time with their friends.

Seeing them all made Faen wonder what his own team were up to. They had a few lessons today, history among them. Hopefully they had spent the time he was away studying, or, at the very least, did something productive and useful.

After a bit of a walk, Faen returned to his dorm block. Finally reaching his dorm, the elf frowned when he heard what sounded like a fight going on inside. He could hear raised voices, mainly Akagi and Friesian's, and he almost jumped in alarm when what sounded like a thrown book struck the door. There goes his hopes that his team were doing something while he was away that wouldn't put a frown on his face.

 _'What in the hell?'_ Faen thought to himself. He was concerned, and a bit disappointed, that his team had descended into chaos while he had spent a short while away.

Wondering whose fault this was, Faen opened the door to his dorm, and was greeted with quite the spectacle. There was Akagi and Friesian trying to claw and kick each other with their arms and legs, while Grey was stood between them, trying to keep the two apart. Not what he had expected, but it could certainly could have been worse. It was going to take a bit of explaining if he was going to understand what the hell was going, that is, if he wanted to.

"You take that back Akagi!" Friesian's head angrily yelled at the kitsune from the floor, while his body threw an eraser at Akagi's head. His head looked like it had been knocked to the ground or something due to how his face was against the carpet.

"Never! A car will forever be superior to you and your damn motorbikes!" The kitsune hissed at Friesian, her ears pulled back and all five of her tails erect. The eraser Friesian had thrown at her bouncing harmlessly off of her forehead.

"Will you two just quit it? I swear, if Faen comes back and finds us and the dorm-" Grey started to yell at the other two, but stopped when she noticed Faen standing at the open doorway. His arms were at his hips, and an expression that was a mix of disappointment and confusion on his face.

Seeing that their team leader had returned, the three quickly seperated from each other. Friesian scooping up his head, Akagi smoothing her uniform, and Grey standing with a forced smile on her face. All three trying, and failing, to act like nothing had gone wrong while the elf had been away. It was almost comical how the three were acting. Almost.

"Oh, hey there Faen! How was your counselling session with Professor Taupe?" Grey greeted Faen, intentionally standing between Friesian and Akagi. No doubt to ensure nothing funny happened between the two.

Faen narrowed his eyes at Grey and surveyed the rest of the dorm. Books and all sorts of notes were scattered all over the place. A bed had been somehow turned over. A pen had been stabbed into a desk. The mess was not too bad, but it was still a mess, and Faen just had to shake his head at the state the dorm was in right now. All this because of a debate over what exactly? Motorbikes and cars apparently. If there was something Faen could be thankful for right now, it would be that his teammates didn't have access to their weapons while they fought.

Gods only know how badly it would have been if they did.

"It was okay. Do I even want to know what exactly happened here?" Faen responded to Grey's question, sending a hard stare at her and Akagi and Friesian. All three shrinking slightly under his visibly annoyed gaze.

"Hm? Nothing important!" Grey hastily replied, not giving Akagi and Friesian time to respond. They did send Grey, and each other, a quick glare and quickly elbowed Grey, who went on to elbow the two of them back.

Faen shook his head again. He did believe his team could be relied upon when necessary, and that they _could_ become friends in time, but they could be frustrating at times. Really frustrating.

"Whatever happened here won't be a problem in the future, will it?" Faen assertively said to the rest of FFOG. He was their team leader, and as team leader, he did not want this little fight to affect the team's cohesion and outward appearance. He didn't bother asking what the fight was about, he'd heard enough to believe that it was over something trivial at best, stupid at worst.

Personally he preferred cars, but it was other people's choice if they liked cars, bikes, trains, buses, or boats.

Grey, who he guessed partook in the fight to stop it, simply nodded in response and turned her face to Akagi. Faen following suit. Seeing that his eyes were on her, Akagi reacted quickly.

"Oh yeah, eheheh." Akagi said with a short giggle and thin smile, that was _definitely_ not at all forced. It wasn't the response he wanted or liked, but it was a response, so he turned his gaze to Frieisan.

"You got it boss!" Friesian said to him, making a finger-gun gesture with his free hand while the other held onto his head. Faen wasn't sure why Friesian had made that hand gesture, but he mentally shrugged and moved on. He really did not want to put up with this anyway, and thankfully, he came up with a way not to. After all, someone had to clean up the mess the three had made of their shared dorm.

"Right then. Now clean this up, we have a Combat Class in about a hour, and it is all your fault." The elf commanded the three. There was a look of protest that flashed across their faces, but they stopped themselves, seeing that Faen was right about the mess they'd made being their fault. So, the three started to get to work cleaning and reorganising their room in silence, while Faen sat on his bed and watched them.

As the three's job had neared completion, Faen noticed something about some of the notes that were scattered across the dorm. Picking one up, Faen instantly recognised the note to be one of his. Now, Faen might have let this be and chalk it up as Friesian and Akagi's fault, but he then noticed how quick Grey was to pick up his notes, and how she was trying to discreetly put them back at his desk.

Had she been using his notes?

Faen shook his head and let her be. This was not the first time Grey had 'borrowed' his notes, both with his permission and without, and just did not have the mind to tell her off for the umpteenth time. Still, if she mislaid or did not organise them, they would be hell to pay.

* * *

Back in Professor Taupe's office, the gorgon was sat at he desk, behind her clay mask the professor's face was set in a contemplative look.

She'd had to counsel many students over the years she'd spent in Beacon, a difficult enough task considering they were teenagers still finding their way in the world. It was made worse due to the varying cultures that they came from. So many of the Demi-Human cultures possessed proud traditions that conflicted with the norms and laws of the Kingdoms. For example, the Halflings possessed a highly communal society and had no idea of personal property, so they had a tendency to 'borrow' things from others without their express permission.

Elves were another kind of difficult.

The few Elves that had come to Beacon, of which there had only been six others, were all the same. Reticent. Guarded. Stubborn. Proud. And bound by codes of personal honour and secrecy.

Faen appeared to be all those things. Though, he was different to the rest by a notable margin. For when he had answered her question about what he planned to do in the future, the elf had confessed to her that he did not know.

Now, this was not uncommon nor unexpected in the students she had counselled over the years. In their first year, many did not know what exactly they wanted to be or do after they graduated and received their Huntsman License. Some might believe they knew, but that was often the exuberance of youth talking, and would either find that they didn't know or they would discover what they really wanted later on. Only a rare few had a clear idea of what they wanted in their future, or at least, that had already been decided for them.

Why exactly did Faen's confession make him different to the other Elves she'd counselled? Because every single one of them knew what they were going to do after they left Beacon. Every single one.

Whenever she asked the same question to the other Elves, they had told her that they planned to go back to their Enclaves and act as elite warriors and guardians for the Elves' hidden settlements that were situated in them. Not act as protectors of the world as Huntsmen and Huntresses were meant to. It was the same for all the Elves who ever attended the Kingdoms' Huntsmen Academies. All of them seemingly committed to the idea as if it had been hammered into them from a young age. Such a practise was not illegal, for the Kingdom of Atlas were more or less doing the same as the Elves, but it was disapproved by many others across the world.

But for some reason, Faen was the exception. The odd one out.

Now, that could just be it. Faen was the exception, there always was one in every situation in life. But, for some odd reason, that just wasn't enough for the gorgon. For some reason, she wanted to know just what it was that made him the way he was.

Taupe reached over and picked up the folder she had about Faen. The elf teen was from Selene, his family moving there with a few other families of Elves, he and the other children growing up and going to school with other Demi-Humans. That might be a contributing factor to his indecision, because the other Elves she'd counselled were from purely Elven settlements, and not a town populated by a large mix of demi-humans species.

But that couldn't have been the sole reason why Faen differed from his kinsmen, few things in life were that simple. Was it because he was not educated or influenced by whatever drove the other elves? Probably, but Taupe could not be sure.

"Gods, this is giving me a headache." Taupe grumbled to her self as she set the folder down and planted her masked face into the palm of her hand. It was too early to think about this, and she was half-tempted to open that bottle of brandy she'd been saving for when that dusty old crow decided to drop by. No, Ozpin had warned against her coming to her lessons drunk a second time. She'd have that brandy after work then.

Where the old crow was and when he planned to come to Beacon, the gorgon had no clue. But Taupe was certain that he wouldn't mind if she indulged herself a bit tonight.

* * *

 _A Guide to Demi-Humans by David Silver_

 _Isolationism:_ _From contemporary and the rare few first-hand historical accounts, the Demi-Humans chose to isolate themselves from Man and Faunus approximately 3000 years before the Great War. Much like early Man's treatment of the Faunus, most Demi-Humans were treated as inhuman and often seen as monsters, as can be seen in various myths and folklore. While a few were in fact venerated and even worshipped. The Demi-Human's move to their isolated Enclaves was a gradual process, but once their new homes were established, they went to great lengths to maintain their secrecy._

 _Huntsmen and Huntresses:_ _Due to their isolationism, the Enclaves were slow to accept many things from the Kingdoms. Huntsmen and Huntresses among them. Before their emergence, those Demi-Humans who had their Aura unlocked were often required by the state to serve as elite warriors for the Enclaves' government, even acting as soldiers for their militaries._ _It was several decades before a Demi-Human applied for the Huntsmen Academies. And it would be over fifty years after the Great War that a Demi-Human would be able to pass the rigorous entry exams and attend an Academy._

 _Lost Enclaves:_ _The 'Lost Enclaves' is a collective used by Demi-Humans to describe an Enclave that was destroyed of abandoned over the course of history. Some Lost Enclaves were lost so long ago, they have, ironically, become legendary locations to even the Demi-Humans._

 _One of the most famous of Lost Enclaves is Camelot, a Demi-Human Enclave whose ruins were discovered by human archaeologists forty-five years after the Great War. In the ruins, rare evidence of Human and Demi-Human coexistence were found, illustrated by how an order of elite knights comprised of both Humans and Demi-Humans lived in Camelot._


	8. A Bully Problem

**Author's Note:**

 **Hey everyone, here's a new chapter.**

 **This chapter will cover the entire Jaunedice story arc, though, Faen and his team will not be present for everything that happens with RWBY and JNPR.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

FFOG, having finished cleaning up their dorm as well as calming down a bit, were now in the Academy's amphitheatre for Combat Class with Professor Goodwitch.

The lesson had gone as usual for the most part, this time the fights took place on the amphitheatre's stage. Professor Goodwitch picked out students to spar against each other, or a student or two might volunteer to spar. The Huntsmen or Huntresses-in-Training would spar against each other until one came out on top, and once that fight was done, a new pair or group would be chosen and fight each other.

Earlier in the class, Faen had sparred with Yang, and boy, saying that she hit like a brick would be a severe understatement to how strong she was. The blonde human girl could hit like freaking train! Having at one point sent him flying into the stage's back wall with a single punch during their spar. Not something that he wanted to relive anytime soon to be honest.

Right now, Jaune was getting absolutely battered by Cardin. And boy was he losing. Losing badly.

The elf and the rest of FFOG had seen this dance before, and were honestly paying very little attention to the fight going on in the arena. In fact the four demi-humans had gone ahead and were doing their own things while they waited for the outcome that they knew was going to happen.

Grey was on the verge of falling asleep, the refreshing effects of her shower and breakfast starting to fade away. Friesian, who was sat next to Grey, had taken it upon himself to pinch the werewolf whenever he thought she was about to succumb to her want for sleep. As of right now, the dullahan had pinched Grey three times to make sure that did not happen. Right now, Friesian looked like he was preparing a fourth pinch with the way that Grey was struggling to keep her head upright.

At least the dullahan was doing something useful while they waited for the current spar to end. Not that Grey seemed appreciate her partner's efforts if those annoyed groans were anything to go by.

Meanwhile, Akagi had sat next to Faen and was currently inspecting her nails, while shooting quick looks up at the raised stage that served as an arena every now and then. She had tried focusing on the fight earlier, but gave up when she saw that it would turn out like all the other spars Jaune got into.

What was Faen doing? Faen had crossed his arms, and let his mind drift to thoughts of things other than the fight.

It was a way to kill time when he had no book or anything else to preoccupy himself with when in similar such situations as this. It was not always a useful or even healthy thing to do, for his mind could stray for too long, or it could go to some dark places. Still, it was a hell of a lot better than watching the mess going on the arena floor. No offense meant to Jaune, but the way he was fighting was indeed a mess.

One of the things Faen's mind went to was his home back in Selene. It had been several weeks since he first set foot in Beacon, coming close to a month now, and he was missing his home. He was acclimating to the new social environment that attending Beacon put him in, but a slight sense of homesickness had started to nibble at him from the inside. What was odd was that he also missed Vigil. Sure he had not exactly liked some of the memories he had about the place, but he did miss the Martial School, especially how much quieter it was when compared to Beacon.

The other thing Faen's mind wandered off to was what he and Professor Taupe had discussed back in their counselling session. From his attitude towards his human acquaintances to his future plans as a Huntsmen. It was something that he should have serious think about if he wanted to stay in Beacon and remain as team leader of FFOG. Yet, trying to do so hurt his head, so he turned his mind on to other things. He'd figure those things out later.

A random thought that just flew into his head whilst he was in this state was what he should have for lunch. He was starting to feel a bit hungry, and lunch was after this lesson. Finding that thinking about food only made him hungrier, Faen tried to turn his thoughts to other things that wouldn't make his stomach start rumbling.

The elf was spared from having to, for his mind returned back to what was going on in the class when Akagi gave him a gentle shake of his shoulder. Looking towards her, the Akagi nodded her head towards the stage. The spar must have finished at last. Needless to say, when Faen turned his face up to the stage he saw that it had ended precisely how he and the others predicted it would. Jaune lost and Cardin won, again.

As she had done so many times before, Professor Goodwitch strode into the arena, gave her assessment of the fight and then provided advice to the participants of the spar as usual. This time however, the professor decided to end her class with a very important announcement.

"Remember, everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing. Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!" This Combat Class professor's announcement sparked a reaction from the class. Why shouldn't it?

The Vytal Festival, a worldwide event meant to celebrate the end of the Great War, and the 'peace' that had come with it. It was also a means by which Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-Training might earn prestige, fame and glory for themselves, their Kingdom and their Academy. The combat tournament that took place during the Festival was probably the most televised event in the world. This Festival was going to be the 40th, and it would take place in Vale, while Faen and his team were in their first-year. The elf had only ever watched the Vytal Festival on a television or through livestreams. This was going to be the first one he'd get to watch it in person, and maybe participate in. Now that would be something.

Looking to his teammates, Faen saw excitement sparkle in their eyes. The same could be said for almost everyone else in the class, some expressing their eagerness for the coming event more openly than others.

Now, Faen would be lying if he said that he did not understand how they felt. He didn't let it show on his face, and neither did he want to admit it to anyone, but Faen also felt anticipation for the coming Vytal Festival. The prospect of being able to fight in the famed Amity Colosseum in front of millions all of the world, and, this was some seriously wishful thinking, possibly winning the Festival's combat tournament. Now, Faen was not very confident that he and his team of first-years could win the tournament, and would not normally seek the attention that the Vytal Festival's tournament would certainly bring. But such a chance for glory was _very_ tempting to his young mind.

Elf Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-Training had partaken in the tournament, but none before him had ever won. If he won, and as student in his first-year, that would be absolutely incredible. A good part of him spoke against the idea, trying to tell him to calm his ambition. However, Faen found it very hard to ignore the temptation that the Vytal Festival posed to him. He could practically hear a voice whispering into his ear, tempting him to go ahead and... Wait a second.

"We should take part. We can win. We should take part. We can win. We should take part. We can win." A familiar voice repeatedly whispered into his ear. Turning his head to face the person, Faen saw that Akagi had leaned in close to him, her lips a few centimetres away from his ear, and had been whispering into it for the last few seconds. Seeing that she was caught, Akagi backed away and gave him an innocent smile.

Faen just rolled his eyes at her behaviour. Sometimes the kitsune would act... he wasn't sure how exactly to describe how she acted.

The bell rang, alerting everyone that the class was over, and that it was now time for lunch. Everyone in the class got up from their seats and started to make their way out of the amphitheatre, making sure to take their chairs and stack them away as they did.

As they were doing this, Faen cast a quick look up towards the amphitheatre stage. There, Jaune was sitting, his head stooped down in shame.

Faen felt a measure of pity for the boy, despite his own growing reservations about the human and his abilities as a combatant. Not because of the beaten look that Jaune gave off as he sat there.

He pitied Jaune for many reasons. For one, Jaune was a poor fighter in and out of Combat Class, probably the worst in their current year group. His grades in other subjects showed that he was underperforming in them as well, a bit of eavesdropping helping Faen learn that. What was probably the biggest source of pity that Faen felt for Jaune was because of how he was bullied by Cardin.

Cardin and Jaune shared positions in their year group as two of its weaker members. There were others who performed badly, but Cardin and Jaune stood out to Faen because he had a personal grudge against former, and he was positively acquainted with the latter. Positively acquainted was probably an over exaggeration, or maybe unnecessarily cold if Grey was correct. Either way, Jaune was the weaker of the two, and because of that, he was naturally the target of bullying from the stronger individual. Cardin.

It was not right. That Faen knew and understood, having once been a victim of bullying himself. However, this was ultimately Jaune's problem to deal with, and it would be up to him on how he handled this. Jaune's bullying would only be Faen's problem when it was made into his problem or if Cardin's bullying became too much for even him too stand by and watch. Anyway, the elf had his own troubles with Cardin to deal with in time.

Turning away from the stage, shaking his head once at Jaune as he did, Faen joined his team. Who had finished stacking their chairs and had hung back when they noticed his brief pause. They did not ask him what was up. He would have said that it was nothing anyway.

Leaving the amphitheatre, the team headed for the cafeteria for lunch. As they walked, the team discussed the Vytal Festival.

"The Vytal Festival. Man, is this going to be the longest few months of my life." Friesian said with a grin on his face, oblivious to the disturbed looks he was getting from passing students. Yeah, seeing a grinning head detached from its body would certainly arouse such a reaction.

"Oh yeah! I honestly can't wait. Not just for the tournament, but can you imagine the food vendors that'll be in the fairgrounds? Oh my gods, I can already imagine the smells right now!" Grey was quick to add, starting to salivate at the very thought of the various foods often available at the Festival's fairgrounds. Plenty of them would be of local Vale cuisine, but food was food, and Grey really liked food.

She had been tired not a few moments earlier, and here Grey was, excitedly talking about food. The sudden shift was not something new to Faen.

"Of course your mind goes to food. You're a vacuum cleaner without an off-switch when it comes to that of all things." Faen remarked after hearing what Grey had to say, the other members of FFOG, apart from Grey, chortling at his words.

He wasn't wrong, and Faen guessed that was why the others found it amusing. Of course, Grey did not find it amusing, but she was certainly not offended by his bit of banter. If she was the werewolf would have tried to rip the elf's head off his shoulders or tear his throat out. Faen had the personal experience to back up that claim, having had to hold Grey back a few times to prevent her from attacking people when she was truly offended or incensed. Not an easy task considering how much stronger she was compared to him.

"Tch, you don't know what you're talking about, besides, _you_ should eat more. I mean, look at you, Mister A-strong-breeze-will-send-me-flying-like-a-kite!" Grey responded to his jest with a gentle punch to his arm, which honestly kind of hurt a bit. His Aura was still recovering from his fight against Yang.

Honestly though, in comparison to Grey, he was slightly thinner and less muscular than her. At least he was not skinny or underweight.

"Heh, you guys. You guys are..." Friesian started to say, though, he stopped before he could finish what he was going to say. "Actually... nah, nevermind!"

"You were going to say something? What was it going to be?" The elf questioned Friesian.

"No it was just... it had to do with something me, Grey and Akagi talked about earlier. It isn't anything important," the dullahan waved their concerns away. Grey and Akagi were confused for a moment, but they seemed to understand what he was talking about. However, all three seemed to wordlessly agree to keep whatever it was between themselves.

Faen was somewhat intrigued by what the three seemed had decided to keep all hush-hush. He let it be, however, it might be something he should confront them about. But, he would do so later.

They had the important matter of lunch to attend to.

"Come on, we should hurry up and get to the cafeteria. All this talk of food is actually making me hungry!" Akagi butted in.

"Heh, that's what you get when you only eat instant pot noodles for breakfast." Friesian remarked, earning a quick glare from the kitsune. The two were still a little on edge around each other because of the little altercation that had occurred earlier today.

"Let's get going. We have a lesson with Doctor Oobleck after lunch, and I'd rather we possess enough energy to get through his class than not. You know how he is," Faen interjected before anything too serious broke out between the two. The elf not wanting another fight to occur, especially while in public. In response, the kitsune and dullahan backed off, and continued walking while staying a small distance away from each other.

Grey turned her head towards Faen and gave him a quick nod of approval. Probably liking how he had prevented their teammates from fighting again. He might actually be getting good at this team leader thing.

With lunch on their minds, and the two other members of FFOG back in line, the four demi-humans carried on walking to the cafeteria. Quickening their pace slightly as they did. On their way to the cafeteria, the group ran into another team who they had became fairly acquainted with during their stay in Beacon. They were Team AMRT.

Amarantha Tanith, Monica Dusk, Reuel Taner, and Tora Yamazaki. Each member of this team, like FFOG, were all Demi-Humans.

Monica, a vampire, Faen had met and got to know on their first day as official students of Beacon. And later on in the infrequent conversations that the two would sometimes partake in. Same went for the team's leader, Amarantha. Though, they had not spoken much that day and were pretty indifferent to each other when they interacted with each other.

The other two were quite a pair as well.

Reuel Taner, the 'R' of Team AMRT. He was an Angel, men and women with massive wings on their back which they could use for flight. Faen had not really interacted with Reuel too often aside from the odd conversation and spar. But, the elf thought him to be a fairly decent and well-mannered person, as well as a good fighter, though, a bit of a stickler for the rules and stuff. When it came to fighting Grimm, Reuel became an almost completely different person and could be a little... zealous as he fought.

No doubt both traits of sticking to the rules and his attitude when fighting Grimm were picked up from his upbringing in Solaria, the famed Enclave of Angels. These things such as abiding by the rules and doing battle against the Grimm were two of the most core tenets of Angelic society.

Appearance-wise Reuel had short, well-kept blonde hair, fair skin, grey eyes and his wings were as white as snow. The guy was also more than attractive, and had garnered a fair number of admirers during the weeks he'd been in Beacon.

And then there was Tora Yamazaki, the 'T' of Team AMRT. The guy was an Oni, a kind of demon-ogre in the mythologies and beliefs of a few cultures that existed in Anima. Guy was undeniably the tallest person in Faen's year-group, and was counted amongst the tallest students to attend Beacon. He also had a great love for fighting, and would fight just about anyone and everyone without a second thought. Thanks to his considerable strength and great endurance, Tora tended to win whatever fights he got into.

A near stereotypical oni.

Tora had a mane of wild and unkept orange hair, and a pair of horns protruding from the top of his forehead. He had his the jacket of his Beacon uniform, which was several sizes larger than Faen's, slung over his shoulder and had his shirt sleeves rolled up past his elbows to show of his muscular arms. His personal accessory to his uniform was a sash with a tiger stripes design printed on it wrapped around his waist.

The two teams had just been in the same Combat Class together, but had not spoken to each other while the lesson went on. With the class over, both teams now had an opportunity to converse with each other.

Normally, FFOG would walk with Teams RWBY and JNPR. On this occasion, however, the two teams had hung back a bit, probably waiting for Jaune to join them. FFOG did not want to wait for the human boy, so they went on ahead of their friends/acquaintances.

If they couldn't walk and talk with RWBY and JNPR. They would settle with AMRT.

"Hello Team FFOG, it is a pleasure to see you four again." Amarantha greeted Faen and his team in her usual uptight and almost emotionless demeanour.

Grey had once called him as 'cold as ice water' after the way he had acted back in Vigil. A claim that Faen could not say was untrue. Now, after the two FFOGG and AMRT became acquainted with each other a few weeks, Grey privately told Faen the naga had 'the emotional spectrum of a rock', after that first encounter. Amarantha's demeanour making her almost completely unapproachable and unable to connect to everyone else in the Academy.

"A pleasure to meet you and your team as well, Amarantha." Faen was quick to return the naga's greeting with one of his own. "How are you?"

"We are fine," the naga replied. Her voice and facial expression not changing at all. With a personality like that, Faen wondered just what the Headmaster had seen in her to appoint the position of team leader, but then again, the same could be said for him.

"Ugh, the two of you sound like you're at some super formal dinner party or business meeting." Grey interrupted the two with an impatient groan.

"Hehe, can you imagine the conversations they would have if we left them alone together? I'd bet good Lien that they'd sound like robots." Tora snorted in amusement at his own jest, other members of both teams sharing the oni's amusement and expressed it through snorts and chuckles.

Faen and Amarantha turned to their teammates and sent them disapproving scowls. The elf disliked being interrupted, something that happened all too often with Grey, and neither did he like being compared to a robot. He wasn't being a robot, this was just his way of being polite.

At least they hadn't the gall to make a poor impersonation of him. That would have been going too far in his book.

Gods' only know what was going on through Amarantha's head right now. He sure as hell didn't know.

"Are you going to the cafeteria? If you guys are, maybe we can have lunch together." Akagi suggested to Team AMRT. Man, she must be really hungry if all she seemed to talk about was related to lunch right now. Then again, Faen was hungry, too, so having food in her mind wasn't bad or odd really.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but we're afraid we cannot join you. We plan to quickly grab our food and head back to our dorm. Perhaps another time, my friends." Reuel politely declined Akagi's suggestion to join them for lunch.

"Yeah. _Someone_ accidentally left their history textbooks back in our dorm." Tora remarked as he, Amarantha and Reuel turned their eyes towards Monica, who meekly squirmed under their gaze. It only got worse for her when FFOG joined in and focused inquisitive stares on the vampire.

"My apologies everyone. I promise to do better in the future," Monica spoke up in response to how everyone was now looking at her. She avoided looking into their eyes and focused her eyes on her feet in shame.

"That's a shame. Still, mind if we walk to the cafeteria together? The more the merrier, as the people of the Kingdoms like to say." Friesian suggested to his team and their fellows in Team AMRT. The idea proposed by the dullahan was a sound one in Faen's opinion, and the other demi-human students appeared to agree with it. It wasn't too long a walk, and at least they would have decent company along the way.

"Not at all. We welcome your presence as we make our way to the cafeteria." Amarantha responded with an affirmative nod, her teammates doing the same. Coming to a mutual agreement, the group of demi-human students walked, slithered in Amarantha's case, to the cafeteria together.

As they walked, the group of eight students talked. In typical fashion, Faen did not engage in the conversation between the two teams too much. He listened, but kept quiet most of the time. The number of people present and involved was a major factor, Faen found, in determining the level of participation he did in these kinds of things.

"Crazy fight you had with the Yang human, eh? She sent you flying into a wall!" Tora chuckled, joined in by a couple others in the small group of students. Faen kept a blank face at Tora's words. Not at all finding the memory of being launched off his feet and getting slammed into the arena's wall amusing. He knew it was a jest, but it wasn't funny to him.

"It was... an experience." Faen mumbled when the others looked to him, expecting a response. Just thinking about it made Faen rub the cheek where Yang had punched him, and in doing so, sent the elf into a wall.

It was an embarrassing moment for him, but he held no grudge against Yang for it. If she were anyone else, he would. But, because of his fairly positive opinion of the blonde human, Faen did not feel any animosity towards her. The same went for the other members of RWBY, FFOG, and JNPR. But it most certainly could not be said for others.

"Sure looked like it. A pretty painful one at that. For a moment I thought we might have to pull you out of the wall," Friesian said with a teasing smile. For goodness sake, him too?

"It wouldn't be the first time," Grey off-handedly commented. Earning both Faen's ire and the attention of the others present.

"What? Really?" Akagi inquired, the tone in her voice telling Faen that the kitsune was more than a little interested to know what Grey had meant.

"Mind telling us?" Tora eagerly requested, to Faen's growing chagrin.

The elf cast a glare towards Grey, one he'd sent her more than a couple times during their time together as friends. Silently telling her to not say a word about what she was planning to tell the others. Rather frustratingly, the werewolf ignored him and went ahead with her plan anyway. A devilish grin that Faen had grown to dread seeing plastered on her face as she began to recount what had happened.

"Hehehe. Where to begin?" Grey hummed in faux-contemplation before proceeding ahead with her tale **.** Much to Faen's silent irritation. "It was three years ago..."

 _'This is a pile of bull,'_ Faen thought to himself as he tuned out the others' conversation. What Grey was going to talk about was an... embarrassing moment in his life. Not the most embarrassing, but it was not something that the young elf liked to recall.

It had been a training spar back in Vigil, where he duelled another student, a dwarf in fact. A dwarf who used what Faen could only describe as an axe-cannon for a weapon. During the spar against the dwarf, Faen may or may not have underestimated his opponent. That very poor and regretful decision led to his defeat at the dwarf's hands.

The elf thought the dwarf would be slow and that he had the advantage of reach. To his surprise and misfortune, the dwarf was quicker than he had initially anticipated, and their weapon's cannon-mode more than made up for their lack of reach. Faen's opponent won the duel when they pulled off a clever riposte after baiting Faen to strike at an opening they'd intentionally created, and then following it up by a point-black blast of their weapon's cannon-mode. To his face.

The shot from the dwarf weapon's cannon-mode knocked Faen off of his feet and sent him crashing into the wall of the sparring arena.

That had more than a little been humiliating for Faen.

After that Faen then decided to challenge the dwarf to a second duel a couple days later. Which he then subsequently lost due to being baiting, again. Of all his opponents in Vigil, that dwarf had been the most infuriating adversary, for it took three more spars until the elf was finally able best them. A kind of rivalry then formed between the two, one that Faen believed to be unresolved. Faen wondered where the dwarf was now, and if he might have a chance to cross blades with them again. Maybe they could face each other in the Vytal Festival.

A duel there would be a fitting place for their rivalry to be finally ended.

"Faen, are you alright?" Faen heard Monica's voice ask him, concern for the leader of FFOG in her voice. Looking towards where the vampire nun's voice had come from, Faen saw that Monica had decided to walk right beside him.

"I'm alright, Monica. Just don't want to listen to the moon-howler's ramblings right now." He quickly replied, pointing a thumb towards Grey.

Sending a quick glance her way, Faen saw that the others' attention was focused on Grey as she told her story. Regaling them all on that less than proud moment of his life. The only ones not listening to the werewolf were himself, Amarantha, and Monica.

"Anyway, how are you?" Faen asked Monica, turning his eyes back to the vampire as he walked and spoke. Having a conversation with Monica would help him ignore Grey for the most part.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking," Monica responded to him with a polite smile and nod of her head.

"Do you want to talk about vampires again, or..." He suggested to Monica, but left the possibilty for a different subject to talk about on the table. Today, it seemed, Monica was not interested in learning more about her kind.

"No. Not today," the young nun shook her head at his suggestion. "Again, thank you for everything you've told me thus far. It has done me a good deal of help."

"It's nothing." Faen replied, waving off her thanks.

Faen had told Monica much of what he knew of Vampires, both from reading on them and his own personal experiences with that species of demi-human. To be fair, it was not a great deal, for like the Elves, Vampires kept to themselves most of the time. Though, they could not be described as anywhere nearly as taciturn when compared to Faen's own people. Still, he knew a lot more about Vampires than Monica herself did, so she lapped up what information he did know like a thirsting animal.

It was then that Faen decided to listen in on what Grey was talking about now. See if she was anywhere close to finished telling her tale.

"...he was then looking down the barrel of the cannon. The look that was on Faen's face was priceless! He was wearing his mask, but..."

"Oh joy," Faen muttered under his breath. His best friend had finally gotten to the 'good part', as she would phrase it. It most certainly was not the 'good part'in Faen's opinion.

"Is it really that embarrassing?" Monica innocently queried, but after a few moments, she swiftly knew why he had reacted in the way he had. For a moment Monica appeared as if she were about to laugh or at least snort at Faen's moment of misfortune. Yet, the vampire was able to restrain herself. "Oh. Um, I see. It's certainly not something to be incredibly ashamed of. We all falter and make mistakes every so often."

Though Faen appreciated Monica's kind and sincere words, they didn't really help improve his mood or opinion on that particular tale. If Grey was not his best friend, Faen would have tried throttling her by now. Unfortunately, she was his best friend, and it was against his personal code to attack a friend over something such as an embarrassing story of his past. The best he could do was get back at her with a story of his own. For Grey had experienced her own share of embarrassing moments.

Faen just needed to pick the right moment and the right memory to tell the others.

After that, Faen and Monica started to make more idle chatter with each other, and continued to do so until they finally reached the cafeteria. Plenty of other students were already there and enjoying lunch together. Teams RWBY and JNPR were not yet present, and a quick look back the way they had come showed the two teams of humans were a small distance away.

Deciding to go ahead of their human friends/acquaintances, the two teams grabbed their lunch together, but while Team FFOG sat down to eat, Team AMRT remained standing. Both teams then said their farewells for now and parted ways. They had a history again later, so they would see each other soon. Now, all FFOG needed to do was wait for RWBY and JNPR to join them.

If anything, the two teams of humans would make lunch an interesting affair.

* * *

"So, there we were... in the middle of the night." Nora Valkyrie, the 'N' of JNPR said in a low, dramatical voice. Adding a theatrical pause for affect to draw those listening to her even deeper into her tale.

Not long after Team AMRT had left the cafeteria Teams RWBY and JNPR joined Faen and his team for lunch. Some of the humans did complain about how he and the rest of FFOG didn't wait for them, but quickly got over it, and started exchanging friendly banter and conversation with one another.

The aforementioned Nora excitedly brought up a dream she had last night, and started to recount what she remembered of it. Despite how only a few expressed any interest in hearing about her dream. Then again, this was Nora. So this kind of behaviour was honestly to be expected by now.

"It was day," Ren abruptly interjected. Faen and a couple others who were listening to Nora looked on with confused expressions at both Ren and Nora. They quickly figured that the human girl had already told Ren about her dream. Wouldn't be odd considering their relationship as childhood friends.

"We were surrounded by Ursai," Nora continued. Ignoring Ren's interruption, and carried on reciting this dream of hers, only to be interrupted by the same boy again not a moment later.

"They were Beowolves."

The elf looked around to the others who were paying attention to Nora's dream. Of the twelve people in their group, only he, Grey, Friesian, Pyrrha, Ruby and Yang were listening to the story that Nora was telling. Ren as well, but he was barely looking at his childhood friend while he made those previous corrections. Blake was reading a book. Weiss was filing her nails, an impolite thing to do at a table in Faen's opinion. Akagi was idly staring out a window. While Jaune was poking at his food with a glum expression on his face.

What had happened last Combat Class must have really gotten to him or something.

"Dozens of them!" Nora abruptly yelled whilst also jumping onto her feet. Startling Faen, a couple of those listening, and even a few other students that were sitting near the group of twelve. One random student who was sat nearby actually fell off his seat because of how surprised he was by Nora's sudden outburst. A not too uncommon occurrence really.

"Two of 'em," Ren calmly stated.

"But they were no match... And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" The orange-haired girl then said, having seemingly finished her story about her dream.

"She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now," Ren sighed as soon as Nora was done speaking.

"A month?" Yang was heard questioning Ren.

"That's certainly something, I'll say." The dullahan member of FFOG also spoke up, as surprised as those who bothered to listen.

Nearly a month of the same dream? Faen had heard of people having recurring dreams and nightmares, but a dream that lasted for nearly a month? That was a first.

Personally, Faen was unsure as to how he should think about Nora's dream. It was not as... exciting, nor explosive, as he thought that it would be. That Ren had to correct Nora was not too big a deal because this was Nora, she tended to exaggerate a few thins whilst excited. This dream was also rather tame when compared to some other bombastic tales Nora had told in the past. Sure there were a few things that were fantastical in the way that only dreams could be, such as the whole Ursa/Beowolf skin rugs, but Faen stood by that previous statement.

Either way, Nora's dream had been somewhat interesting, and a fairly decent way to kill time. A quick check of his wristwatch showed that there was still a good amount of time before they had to head off to their next class. What could he do now?

Faen was done eating like most of those at the table. He didn't have any reading material on his person like Blake did. His physical appearance was not too high on his list of priorities like Weiss. There were no dreams that he wanted to tell the others about like Nora just had. Would he have to fall back to letting his mind drift again?

Before Faen could decide on what to do, the elf overheard his companions bring up a subject that might be worth listening to.

"Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school." The elf heard Pyrrha, the red-haired champion amongst them, say to Jaune. A great deal of concern for the human boy lacing her voice.

Oh yes, Jaune's bully problems. This might be an interesting enough conversation to join in.

"Wh-Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah... H's just-He's just messing around guys. You know, practical jokes and stuff." Jaune tried to deny to Pyrrha and the others.

"'Practical jokes', my ass. Jaune, he's bullying you!" Grey spoke up, with those amongst them who were listening nodding in agreement with what Grey had said. Faen was not at all surprised that his best friend would join in, for she had been there to help with his bullying problem, and would no doubt have an issue with another of her friends being bullied. As new as they were to her.

"Grey's right Jaune. Cardin is a bully, and his targeting you." Ruby added in a surprisingly mature manner.

"What? Come on, guys. Name one time that Cardin's 'bullied' me." The blonde human boy responded to Grey and Ruby's words. Continually trying to deny to his friends and teammates that he was being bullied.

"You're not serious, are you Jaune?" Friesian incredulously said. Having decided to add his voices to those trying to confront Jaune about his bully problem. Faen himself did not join in yet, but continued to listen in on what they were all saying. He was sympathetic to Jaune's plight and understood his position, but did not say a word just yet.

Instead, the elf cast his eyes towards where Cardin and the rest of his team, Team CRDL, were sat. There was Cardin himself, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark. All four of them were utter knobheads and bullies. Hardly exemplars of what Huntsmen should be, no matte their skills in combat.

Right now, the team of four humans were harassing a female rabbit faunus. Faen did not now her by name, but he was aware that she was not of their year group, but was in fact a member of the second-year group. The one above his own. Seeing her being tormented by Cardin and his team, apparently due to her status as a faunus from what the elf could hear, sparked a desire to intervene. To challenge Cardin to a duel right here and now. To defeat him and his team in an act of public humiliation, and to show the elf's superiority over that gang of brutes.

Yet, Faen restrained himself.

Resigning to just silently glaring and clenching a fist at Cardin's behaviour. The human would get his soon, that Faen would swear on Gwaedh's blade.

"And let's not forget the time he stuck you in your locker and sent you flying out the school!" He overheard Ruby say to Jaune. The group having been listing off the occasions where Cardin had bullied Jaune, of which there were many, in an attempt to reinforce the fact he was being bullied by brute. To Faen's disappointment, Jaune continued to deny that he was being bullied and tried to laugh off the moments the group recounted.

"Uh, yeah, I remember that. But it was okay, I didn't land too far from the school." Jaune was quick to reply. Again, as stated before, he tried to act as if such acts were not as serious as they actually were.

"You landed in the Emerald Forest and got stuck in a tree." Friesian countered Jaune's weak assurances. "We and Professor Goodwitch had to rescue you from a pack of Beowolves that were planning to have you for their afternoon tea. Remember that?"

What Friesian had described had happened a couple days after Initiation. Faen had not expected to be back in the Emerald Forest so quickly, and for the purposes of rescuing Jaune of all things. Yet, it had been an interesting little venture if Faen had to admit anything about it.

That aside, Jaune's constant denial of being bullied was a cause of concern. In Faen's eyes, one of the first steps to overcoming being bullied was to admit that you are a victim of it. Only after that had been done could a victim do something to stop it. If Jaune kept on refusing to admit that he was being bullied, then there was very little that Faen or anyone else could do to help him sort the matter out.

"Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask. We can help you." Pyrrha said, offering the support of herself and the others at the table.

"Ooooh! We'll break his legs!" Nora abruptly spoke up, proposing a very _interesting_ solution to Jaune's trouble with Cardin. Faen couldn't say that the idea Nora had was a sound one, it would be a satisfying one in Faen's opinion, but it wouldn't really solve the issue. Still, it might be a good idea to keep it on the table, just in case circumstances where such an action would be beneficial presented themselves.

"Did someone say something about breaking legs?" Faen's partner jumped into the conversation. Akagi had apparently not been paying attention to what they had been talking about, but the mention of breaking legs was what drew her in?

"Guys it's fine! Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to _me_ ; he's a jerk to everyone." Again Jaune persisted in trying to wave off the concerns of his friends. Faen shook his head at Jaune and started to tune out the conversation, finding that the others were getting nowhere. Anything he said now would probably not do anything either.

 _'Yeah, "fine". So very_ fine _,'_ Faen mentally grunted. The elf then went ahead and let his mind drift for a bit.

Hopefully the rest of the day would be both interesting, and not as tiresome as trying to get Jaune to admit he was being bullied.

* * *

Several hours later, Faen was alone in his team's dorm, laying on his bed and reading a book. A fine past time in his opinion.

They had a couple other lessons after lunch, but nothing noteworthy had happened during or in-between them. After lunch, Jaune had refused to even speak about Cardin to him and the others, much to the distress of a few of the others. Faen let the matter be, and would confront Jaune about it at a later time. Right now, he had a couple chapters of his book to read.

The rest of his team had gone out to do their own thing. Grey had apparently challenged Yang to an arm-wrestling contest some time ago and she intended to win that challenge, and probably break whatever table they were using as part of their contest. Friesian, meanwhile, had gone out to the Academy's garage to tend to his motorbike or something. Akagi said she needed to go speak to Professor Port about an assignment he had given them, what exactly she needed Faen had no clue, but let her be on her way.

It was odd how the silence that filled the dorm was actually calming to the elf. He guessed that after being around so many people, people who talked a lot mind you, he desired the quiet that solitude offered. The silence did allow him to read his book in peace, so that might be another reason why.

However, Faen did not have long to enjoy this blissful quiet, as the dorm's door opened after a short while. Peeking over his book, Faen saw that Akagi had come back. She was honestly earlier than he had expected.

Faen had expected her to be held back by Professor Port because of one of his 'lectures'.

"Hello Faen!" Akagi greeted the elf as she entered the dorm and quickly closed the door behind her.

"Akagi." The elf replied with a quick nod of his head towards his kitsune teammate. "Did you get what you needed from Professor Port? He didn't try to bore you to death with one of his 'lectures' did he?"

"Hehehe, yes, I got what I needed. And no, Port didn't but he almost did start telling one when I asked him a simple question." Akagi spoke as she put a couple books she had brought with her on her desk, whilst also placing her coat on back of her desk's chair. Noting the others' absence, the kitsune continued on and said to him. "Where are the others?"

"Grey's arm-wrestling in the common room. While Friesian is in the Academy's garage with his motorbike," he swiftly answered.

The kitsune frowned at the mention of Friesian and is motorbike. Faen was not sure why she held such animosity towards motorbikes, but he felt little concern for the matter. The only time it would be of concern to the elf would be when the issue would start to negatively affect the team in a very major way.

"I'm going to change. Turn around please!" Akagi alerted him. In response, Faen turned his body away from his teammate and continued to read from his book. Why she didn't just go change in their dorm's bathroom, and spare him from having to listen to the kitsune peel off her clothes behind him, the elf did not understand.

As Faen waited for Akagi to get it over with and finish changing into her sleepwear, the elf tried to focus on his book. Not at all an easy task given that this was the first time this kind of thing had happened, in spite of all that time he spent living with Grey. It was a struggle for Faen to not even think about the possible sight that could greet him if he were to just turn his body or head around right now.

Now, Faen knew that this was a 'dream' position in the eyes of other members of his gender. Was it his? No, it was not.

He had come to Beacon to be with Grey and to learn how better to kill Grimm, not to eye up his teammate or other girls in Beacon. However, this did not mean he was not interested. Faen was still a teen on the verge of adulthood, so, as much as he disliked having to admit it, he could not ignore the impressive physiques his female teammates and other female peers possessed. Nor could he deny that said physiques were rather appealing to him.

To keep his mind off the mental image of a half-naked Akagi, Faen decided to strike up a conversation with her. That and reading his book would be a sufficient enough distraction, he hoped.

"What was it you needed anyway?" Faen asked his partner and teammate. That would be a decent enough start for this conversation/distraction.

"Oh you know, just a few notes about the Thunderbird Grimm he mentioned yesterday. Particularly it and its supposed relationship with the Mishipeshu Grimm. Nothing too big or serious." Akagi replied, arousing a fair amount of interest from the elf when she mentioned the Thunderbird species of Grimm.

"The Thunderbird, huh? Yeah, those are... they're quite the Grimm." He muttered in response to Akagi's words. While he and Grey were on their way to Beacon, he could have sworn that they saw a Thunderbird off in the distance while they were crossing the sea between Avalon and Sanus. The beast was larger than the Nevermore that Team RWBY killed back in Initiation, and physically resembled a gigantic eagle.

Killing such a beast had won quite a few Huntsmen and others who fought the Grimm great fame due to how deadly the Grimm was. Able to somehow throw bolts of lightning with a flap of its massive wings. Faen had once dreamed of battling and defeating a Thunderbird as a child, imagining himself as an old elf hero who single-handedly bested a Thunderbird in an old tale. Time had worn that dream away, seeing the Thunderbird on the way to Beacon and hearing Akagi bring the Grimm up reminded him of that childhood dream.

"Have you personally seen one before? They are quite... monstrous from what I've heard and read." Akagi now asked him, seemingly sensing his familiarity with the Thunderbird type Grimm in his response. Figuring it would not hurt, Faen told the kitsune of the Thunderbird he and Grey saw.

"Yes. It was while Grey and I were on the airship to Beacon. Thankfully, it was in the distance and flying west. No idea what it was doing flying that far from land." Faen replied to her question as he turned a page of his book, and heard her open her closet full of clothes.

"Well then, you and Grey were extremely lucky. I've heard incredibly ghastly stories of lone Thunderbirds downing travelling airships." Faen hummed at his partner's words, having heard those same stories as of the most infamous happening forty-six years ago, when a Thunderbird attacked and downed an airship three members of Vale's Council were on while travelling to Mantle. It took a full month before the remains of the Councilors' airship and its escorts were discovered, and the black box containing a recording of the attack recovered.

Needless to say, a good deal of fear surrounded airship-travel for over a year after that tragedy. When it died down, air travel companies took precautions to avoid areas where sightings of Thunderbirds were reported.

"How long have you been here all by yourself, anyway?" Akagi now asked him, choosing to change the subject of their conversation. "Hope you weren't too lonely without the rest of us to keep you company."

"Fifteen minutes, and I didn't mind." It was true. Faen had not minded being alone for a while, and wouldn't have minded if he was left alone a bit longer.

Gods, how long would it be until she was finished changing? The longer Akagi took to change clothes, the more uncomfortable he was with their current situation. As long as he was able to keep himself distracted from the thought of Akagi's current state of dress, or possible lack of if Faen was to be honest, the elf could stand this discomfort for a while longer.

"Okay then," the kitsune said before asking a couple more questions. "Anything interesting happen while you were here by yourself? Or were you just reading your book?"

"Nope, nothing happened. I just lay here and read my book," Faen quickly replied to her. He did recall something, however, and decided to bring it up. "Then again, for a moment I thought I heard voices outside the window. Maybe from the roof, but other than that nothing. Very _exciting_ aren't I?"

Akagi let out a low chuckle at his last sarcastic remark. Finding it somewhat humorous in some way.

"Maybe you really are at times. At the very least, I believe you aren't boring to be around." Akagi then paused. The sound of her slipping something on telling Faen that she was finally putting on her nightwear. "Now, about those voices you overheard. Did you hear what they were talking about? Could you tell who they were?"

"No," Faen quickly replied to both of her questions. If he weren't lying on his side he would have added a shrug of his shoulders to help convey his lack of knowledge, but that would have been uncomfortable to do. "Whoever they were, they were too far for me to hear properly. Honestly sounded like they were on the roof or something. Doesn't really matter."

The kitsune hummed in what might have been disappointment. Most likely because she wanted to hear some juicy secret information on the people he had heard. In the time he'd come to know her, Faen had discovered that Akagi liked to gather information on people, using her heightened sense of hearing to eavesdrop on people to learn quite a few things about them.

When Faen first learnt about this habit of hers, he had initially wanted to order Akagi to stop. However, he quickly realised that him demanding her to stop eavesdropping on people would have been hypocritical of him, for he too eavesdropped on others. That reason, and because of the odd chance that Akagi might hear something useful through her eavesdropping, made Faen leave the matter be.

"Done. You can turn around now!" Akagi called out to him, having apparently finished changing into her nightwear.

Relieved that Akagi was finally done changing, Faen let out a quick and quiet sigh of relief when he heard those words pass from Akagi's lips and into his ears. However, the elf did not let down his guard and took a few seconds before he turned round to look at his partner. If she was messing with him, all Faen believed he could do was try his best not to freak out or anything.

Thankfully, Akagi had spoken true, and was fully clothed when he turned around to look at her.

When he turned around, Faen saw that his partner was sat on her bed, and wearing red pajamas made of lightweight cotton.

For someone from a quite noteable background and who usually wore some fairly pricey clothes, the elf was surprised when he first saw Akagi wear rather plain clothes for nightwear. Faen had expected her to wear a satin or silk nightgown or something, not a set of simple jim jams. He was not complaining about it. Akagi's choice of nightwear was just surprising to him.

Akagi sat down on her bed, which was on the same side of the room as his, and smiled at the elf. In response, Faen nodded once at her and turned his eyes back on his book's pages.

"Looks like an interesting book you're reading. What is it?" Akagi asked him not a moment after he had tried to get back to reading. Looking to his teammate, Faen saw her eyes trained on the book that Faen held in his hands. Faen then glanced back to the book he had been holding in his hand.

It had a dark-red hardback cover, and the pages of the book had turned yellow due to exposure to the air and sun. The book was given to him as a parting gift by his mother when he left for Beacon. Apparently she had received it a few years ago as a gift from a friend, now she wanted him to have the book and read it. He was one-fifth of the way through the book, and it had been an interesting read thus far.

After a split-second debate, Faen decided to tell Akagi what his book was.

"'The Red Prince'. It's a story in a medieval setting about an elf prince, Caraphinnor, and his struggle to uphold his duty to the gods, his family and his people."

"Sounds like a fascinating read. Would you mind if I borrow it sometime?" The kitsune from Shangri-La requested to her team leader with an interested look in her eyes.

He was hesitant to give into her request, partially because this was his book and he was quite possessive of his belongings. That and because the book was written in a completely different language, Elven actually, and Faen was not really sure if his partner was fluent in the written and spoken form of the Elf language.

She had never given him any indication of such a thing.

"The book is written entirely in Elven. Can you read Elven?" Faen responded to Akagi's question with one of his own. He doubted if she could, and would be legitimately surprised if she could.

"Oh. No I cannot," Akagi admitted after expressing a bit of surprise. Her suprise did not remain for long, for the kitsune then came up with a new proposition. "Well, if _I_ can't read it, how about you read it to me? You can translate it, right?"

Faen was initially unsure as to how he should respond to his partner's new request. A part of the elf told him to politely decline the request, that it would be better if he said nothing about it. Yet another part of Faen was opposed to the idea. This other part of him was encouraging Faen to indulge the kitsune, to tell her about the book in his hand, and see where it might lead.

The part of Faen trying to persuade the elf to tell Akagi about his book was the same one that encouraged him to open up to Grey so many years back in Selene, and to talk to Monica just weeks ago here in Beacon. Grey because she was the only person who had, persistently, tried to reach out to him as a friend. Monica because she was a curiosity to him.

Akagi was his teammate, and more importantly, the partner he was paired with for the next four years in Beacon. This... could be an opportune chance to deepen their bond as teammates. Besides, it was not as if he would be revealing any super-secret information regarding himself or the Elves by reading a piece of classical literature to Akagi.

"Uh, sure. Do you want me to start at the first page?" Faen finally said to his teammate, sitting up in his bed as he did so.

"Why yes please," Akagi smiled at his acceptance of her request and quickly sat beside him, her tails perking up to their maximum height. The same went for the tall fox ears atop her head.

Well, it looked like he had her undivided attention. Might as well live up to what he had said to her.

Turning to the first page of his book, Faen focused his eyes on the first paragraph at the top of the page and began to read aloud to Akagi. Translating the Elven script that 'The Red Prince' had originally been printed in, into English for his teammate and partner. The kitsune diligently listening to every word and sentence that passed his lips. The elf wasn't sure how this whole thing would turn out, but Faen guessed that all he could do now was to go along with this and see where it went.

* * *

In another part of the Academy, Professor Taupe had just kicked off her heels and lazily sat on a sofa with a bottle of brandy in hand. A stark contrast to the stern and very forboding image she had erected around herself.

The day had been a fairly uneventful one. The new students were getting used to being in Beacon, while the older students got back into the mindset they needed for school. Taupe did have a few counseltation lessons to perform. She did have to fill in for Port who decided today of all days to go charging through the Emerald Forest in search of a Grimm to capture, and then let loose in his class. There was also a small incident where the gorgon had to break up a fight between a couple of Human and Faunus students.

Other then that, the day had really been fairly uneventful.

All alone in her private quarters, Taupe was finally allowed to pull the clay mask off of her face. Though she was used to wearing it, having worn a mask for almost all her life. Wearing the mask over her face for an extensive period of time was quite uncomfortable.

Carefully taking the clay mask off, she then laid it on the short coffee table in front of her. Performing both things while her eyes were closed.

Opening her eyes, the first thing she laid eyes upon was of a picture frame hanging on the wall opposite her. The photo set in the picture frame was taken years ago. The picture was of her and her friends after their graduation from Beacon. Looking at it sent memories, both joyous and sad, coursing through her mind.

Quite a few of the people in that picture were dead, either killed-in-action or of some other cause. There were others she become estranged from, while at the same time, there were those she remained able to contact. And then there were some she had not heard a word from since.

Shifting her mind away from the past, Taupe focused on the very important matter that was in her hand.

Taking up a wine glass, the gorgon professor poured some of the bottle's contents into the glass, and let it warm in her palm for a couple minutes. Feeling it sufficiently warmed, Taupe rose the wine glass of brandy to her waiting lips.

As she raised the glass to her mouth, a sharp ping came from Taupe's nearby Scroll. A message.

Annoyed at this interruption, the gorgon lowered her glass and picked up her Scroll, her eyes narrowing when she saw that it was from Ozpin. Messages from him at this time of day meant the Headmaster was most likely dumping a metric tonne of work to her current work load.

Opening her Scroll, going to her message inbox, and opening the message, Taupe almost dropped her glass of brandy when she saw what Ozpin had messaged her. The message he had sent her was of a kind she had received numerous times before, yet it was not a message that she ever liked to find in her inbox. It read:

 _'Peach will be away for a week, and will only be back the day after her first-year class' trip to Forever Fall Forest. Would you please fill in for her lessons and the trip?'_

* * *

 **Right, next chapter FFOG will be going to Forever Fall Forest. As you can already see, there's going to be a few changes in regards to what happens there.**

 **As I said, FFOG didn't get too involved, this fanfiction is supposed to be their story after all. They will be a part of RWBY and JNPR's story, but like I said, this is _their_ story.**

 **Next will be Forever Fall Forest, and there are going to be more than a few things happening there. That I can tell you.**

 **The mention of 'Thunderbird' and 'Mishipeshu' are a reference to two creatures from Native American mythology. The Thunderbird is a creature that controls the upper world, has the ability to throw lightning and create thunder with the flap of its wings according to one source. Mishipeshu, or underwater panther, is a water creature that is the opposite of the Thunderbird.**

 **New Characters:**

 **Tora Yamazaki: 'Tora' means 'Tiger' in Japanese, while 'Yamazaki' is a Japanese surname meaning something like 'Mountain, Cape/Peninsula'.**

 **Reuel Taner: 'Reuel' is a variant of the name 'Raguel' meaning 'friend of God', and is the name of the Angel of Justice in Judaic traditions. 'Taner' is a Turkish name that means 'born of dawn'.**

* * *

 _A Guide to Demi-Humans by David Silver_

 _Angels:_ _Among the Demi-Human races, the Angels were one of the few Demi-Humans who were not often persecuted by humans, but were in fact revered and viewed as divine messengers by many early civilisations. Despite this more positive relationship with humans, the Angels also retreated to the Enclaves, though at a later date than the other races._

 _Angels are also subjects of a rare phenomen that occurs with a rare few other Demi-Human races. When Angels interbeed with humans and faunus, there is a very high likelihood that the progeny produced from the union will be a Nephilim. Half-angels with wings that do not develop to a large enough size to allow flight, though they tend to grow larger than either of their parents._

 _Oni:_ _Commonly found in Mistrali Enclaves, the Oni possess a long and proud history as guardians of the Enclaves. It was only in the last one-thousand years that the Oni became the mighty defenders of the Enclaves that they are now. Histories and legends from both Demi-Human and Human sources state that the Oni were once pillaging marauders or cruel villains._

 _Oni legends claim it was after being defeated by the Yuki-onna in a short, yet brutal conflict that the Oni were forced to change their ways. Many being made into the guardians of the Yuki-onnas' hidden settlements. Over time, the Oni grew into their position, and most abandoned their old ways as bandits and marauders, though still retaining their belligerent nature._


	9. Trouble in Forever Fall

**Author's Note:**

 **Longest chapter of this fanfic so far. Didn't really expect that it would be this long.**

 **Took a bit longer to finish because of the fight scenes.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Trouble in Forever Fall**

"Hey Faen wake up." The elf heard someone call to him while also shaking his shoulder until he was awake.

Blinking his eyes open, Faen was greeted to the sight of a Bullhead airship's interior passenger compartment. In the Bullhead with him was the rest of Team FFOG. The one who had woken him from his short nap being Grey, who still kept a hand on his shoulder.

"'Bout time you woke up. We're just over Forever Fall Forest!" Grey excitedly informed him.

Forever Fall Forest. Rated as one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in all of Vale due to the near constant red hue that every piece of vegetation that grew in the forest possessed. Even other Elves who had come to Forever Fall could not help but admire the place. Faen was honestly thinking of taking pictures while in the forest and send them home.

Of course, like so many things in the world, while there was great beauty to be found in Forever Fall, there was also an ugliness hidden beneath its branches. The Creatures of Grimm. Forever Fall had a very scarce amount of settlements within the forest boundaries due to the significant population of Grimm that call the place home. Entire logging camps and expeditions disappeared under the forest's boughs, never to be seen again apart from a few tattered remains found by rescue teams, passing Huntsmen, other loggers or less reputable folk.

Let's not forget the fact that several criminal elements and bandit tribes were know to use Forever Fall as a base of operations or hideaway from Kingdom authorities. The presence of the Grimm proving advantageous for them in that regard, for not many people were willing to risk the Grimm just to catch a band of criminals and outlaws.

The danger posed by the Grimm was common throughout all of Beacon, but the Grimm population's density in Forever Fall was an even greater concern. A theory as to why so many Grimm lived in Forever Fall was because of the negative emotions that still permeated the place after a battle that had been fought here during the Great War. Where a combined force of Valean soldiers and newly arrived Demi-Human auxiliaries, fought a Mantle expeditionary force that tried to attack the city of Vale.

The Mantle soldiers were ambushed by the allied forces as they tried to march through Forever Fall, and were forced to retreat after two hours of fighting. At the battle's end, both forces suffered massive casualties. Whatever survivors that remained were forced to leave many wounded behind because of the arrival of a large horde of Grimm. It was said that the moans and screams of the injured left behind as the Grimm set upon them could be heard in the wind to this day.

A far less dramatic explanation that had been posed was that the Grimm were attracted to the red sap of Forever Fall. There had been reported occasions where Grimm attacked people in the forest shortly after someone spilt sap or let the sap's smell spread out into the air.

Faen wasn't sure why the Grimm seemed to like Forever Fall, and he probably would never know to be honest. Not that he really cared in the first place. Either way, with or without Grimm, Forever Fall Forest was one hell of a place to visit.

Not long after Faen was woken up by Grey, the airship began to descend towards the forest and entered a large clearing a minute later. The airship landed and once its doors opened, the group of students were finally treated to a better view of the forest from the ground. Alongside the sights of the forest, a great number of forest smells and sounds now bombarded Faen's senses.

The elf could hear the slight sway of the leaves in the wind, the chirp and call of birds, the buzz and chitter of insects, and a few other things. Even with his mask covering his nose, Faen could make out the familiar damp earthy scent mixed in with the old leaves that had fallen from their branches. There was also varying scents of flowers and trees. The smells of Forever Fall were in ways alike yet unlike that of the Emerald Forest. Not that much of a surprise, for in Faen's experience, each forest had its own unique smell about it.

It was actually a nice change in Faen's opinion, and judging from their reaction, the same could be said for Grey and Akagi.

Back in Beacon, the air of the academy was almost completely dominated by the sound of people talking, the stench of sweat, heavy perfumes and other things Faen would prefer not mentioning. That was one disadvantage of having superior senses to the average human, and one occasion where he did not envy Friesian, who was the only one in FFOG without heightened senses of hearing, sight, and smell. Not that Faen would ever admit to such a thing. Besides, the benefits of having such superior senses outweighed the drawbacks.

From other Bullheads, Team RWBY, JNPR and CRDL stepped onto the forest floor. Faen frowning at the presence of Team CRDL. Why a team that he found more agreeable could not be with here with them, such as AMRT, Faen did not understand. As long as they stayed away and did not intentionally inconvenience him, Faen would stay his distance and not do anything in return.

As each team left the Bullheads, they brought with them a small crate of four glass jars. These jars were essential for their mission here in Forever Fall.

With the students was Professor Taupe, the professor that would be supervising them throughout the entirety of the trip. Instead of the usual attire she wore while teaching in the academy, the gorgon was dressed in an outfit better suited for combat situations.

Her clay mask had been replaced with a far more durable and practical metal one that still depicted a beautiful woman's face. She also wore a sleeveless shirt of steel scale armour and greaves over a grey-brown suit. Sheathed at her side was a kopis sword and borne on her left arm was a short round gunshield with a face polished to a mirror-like sheen. These weapons and her outfit in general was close to those she'd used when she graduated from Beacon, and acted as a reminder of lost Themyscira. For they were the traditional arms and armour of the Lost Enclave's warrior elite.

Of which, Professor Taupe's family had been members of before the loss of Themyscira to the Grimm.

This image of Professor Taupe as a Themysciran warrior was what Faen and all other Demi-Human Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-Training grew up with when they learnt about the gorgon and her exploits. 'The Gorgon of Themyscira' and 'Saviour of Baltia'. Seeing her like this almost took Faen's breath away, and to be honest, may have caused him to stare at the professor for longer than what might be considered polite. Grey, being Grey, caught him staring and suggested that he might be 'into' the professor.

Faen quickly and sharply chided the werewolf for insinuating such a thing. The elf didn't want _anyone_ , least of all his team or Yang of all people, to get the idea that he was in any way drawn to the gorgon professor. He respected her as his professor and for being a Huntress of some fame, that was it. There was nothing else he felt towards Taupe aside from the previously mentioned respect he felt for her.

Grey's little suggestion reinforced the elf's desire to get back at the werewolf somehow. To find a way to embarrass her.

Not an easy task, but Faen resolved to do it sometime in the future.

Away from petty thoughts of revenge against Grey and back to reality, the professor finished examining the straps and gun attachment of her shield for a few seconds, and gestured the students to follow her. Obeying the professor, the large group of students followed the gorgon into the forest, taking their crates of glass jars with them.

Together, the professor and students wandered a short distance under the red leaves that made Forever Fall famous. Professor Taupe kept her eyes forward, the tangle of snakes on her head making sure to keep an eye on the students and the surrounding area. Meanwhile, a majority of the students took in the forest's unique beauty as they followed the professor.

Of his team, Grey, while carrying FFOG's crate of jars in one hand, used the other to take photos with her Scroll. Friesian, who walked next to Grey, was also looking on the forest in rapt fascination, but was also making sure the werewolf next to him didn't drop the crate she was holding. Akagi was silently striding beside Faen, her arms behind her back with her eyes and ears darting her and there. If she were keeping her eyes and ears open for anything hiding in the trees or just admiring the way the forest itself, Faen couldn't say exactly. Though, he couldn't argue against his partner doing either, if that was indeed what she was doing right now.

What was Faen doing?

He was keeping an eye on everyone else in the group. That's what he was doing.

The reasoning behind his choice of action was the same one as when he and his team went out to Vale with RWBY and JNPR. Faen was a team leader, as such, he felt responsible for the other students here. Most of them anyway, Team CRDL was in the group after all, and the elf wouldn't mind if they earned a few scars or broken bones from any Grimm they may run afoul with. Unlikely as it might be, the experience might teach those muttonheads a lesson or two. They sorely needed one.

If not the Grimm, Faen might do it himself.

Team RWBY were acting normally enough. Ruby and Yang were both taking in the forest's scenery with amazed looks in their eyes and smiles on their faces. Weiss was more restrained in her admiration of Forever Fall than her two previously mentioned teammates, the look in her eyes being the way she conveyed her amazement of this place. Meanwhile, Blake was... on alert.

The black-haired human was damn good at hiding emotions, but Faen could see that she was keeping and eye out for something, and that this forest meant something to her. Just what, Faen couldn't say. The girl was a pile of mysteries stacked one on top of the other. His conversations with the girl had yielded very little information, aside from the fact she liked books and hadn't graduated from Combat School or similar institutions.

Did whatever connection she had with this place matter to him?

No, it didn't. But it sure as hell added to the mysteries that surrounded her.

Team JNPR was acting normally like Ruby, well, half of them were. Nora was zipping around here and there, pointing at anything that she found to be vaguely interesting in anyway. Ren, Nora's partner and best friend, remained the ever stoic beacon of calm and reason that reigned Nora in whenever necessary. The elf was actually thankful for his presence actually.

On the other hand, Pyrrha was quiet and had an uncharacteristic look of sadness on her face. It was an expression Faen had seen her wear for a good few days now. Faen knew the reason behind Pyrrha's mood, and that reason's name was Jaune.

Speaking of Jaune, the human boy was trailing behind the rest of the group. In his arms he carried a crate of six jars instead of the usual four. In the last few days, Jaune had, for reasons unknown to Faen and everyone else, become a lackey of Team CRDL.

He no longer hung around RWBY, JNPR or FFOG. Instead, he now spent his time with Cardin and his team, and actively avoided any attempts by the others for an explanation for this change. When someone was finally able to make him stay put and try to get Jaune to explain himself, Jaune would just evade their questions or find a 'convenient' excuse to get out of the conversation.

Faen himself had tried to pry the truth out of Jaune on Ruby and Grey's request. He was unsuccessful, just like everyone else who tried. All that Faen was able to learn from his semi-interrogation of Jaune was that, though Jaune was spending time with Cardin, he did not want to. The blonde leader of JNPR did not tell him that directly, but Faen could see it in his eyes.

As odd as it sounded in his head for he was not exactly close to the human, Faen did want to help Jaune. How was the main problem. For since Faen and the others had no idea why this was now happening, they had no clear idea on how they could aid Jaune.

Meanwhile, Team CRDL was at the very back of the group and were being their usual selves. Assholes.

The team of four human boys didn't try anything too overt, not while the many eyes of Professor Taupe's snakes were looking at them all. Yet that did not stop them from doing some small things that annoyed Faen and the others. Such as 'accidentally' kicking the back of their legs as they walked, and, in Faen's case, flicking the back of his ears.

It took a great exertion of willpower for Faen to remain calm and put up with CRDL's shenanigans. Not at all helped by how he could hear them quietly laugh amongst themselves and call him 'knife-ears'.

What Faen would give to have CRDL replaced with Team AMRT or anyone else right now.

"Now students, while I understand and will allow you all to admire Forever Fall, we are here for a reason." Professor Taupe said, breaking the teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-Training away from what they were doing and onto her. With the student's attention focused on her, Taupe stopped and turned to face them. She then pointed at the crates of jars the students carried and said. "While we are here, _you_ shall collect sap from the trees within Forever Fall. Beware, however, for the forest is inhabited by a large number of Grimm. Remain cautious and stay in your teams as you go about collecting the sap."

The professor then brought up her right arm and checked her wristwatch as she continued speaking.

"I will be here for the entirety of the trip, so you may come to me if there is any trouble. It is now... 3:06, I expect you all to return here at 4 o'clock with _filled_ jars." Nearly an hour. That would be more than enough time to collect the sap and to take in the scenery of Forever Fall. "Now, are there any questions? Please ask them now if you have any."

"Why does Professor Peach want the sap?" Weiss was the first to ask the professor. An absolutely fair one to be honest, and one that Faen wanted an answer to now that he thought about it.

"I do not know," Professor Taupe quickly replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Professor Peach wants it, so we shall deliver."

The lack of a definite answer was disappointing, as Faen very much wanted to know just why Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-Training were being made to gather sap. He understood that Forever Fall was dangerous, and they had better survival chances than most people, but why did it have to be them and for what cause? Whatever cause the collection of this sap was meant advance, the elf hoped it to be worth it.

With Weiss' question answered, Nora took this opportunity to shoot her hand into the air and ask the professor a question of her own.

"Is it safe to drink the sap?" Not a question Faen predicted to be asked by anyone in the group, but the fact that it was Nora who posed the question lessened the weirdness. Or increased it somewhat. Faen couldn't tell and didn't want to think about it for too long, so he let the matter go.

"Yes." The gorgon answered Nora after a hesitant pause, as if she were wondering if it were a good idea to answer that question. "However, I would advise against any of you actually drinking the sap. Especially if any of you may in fact be allergic to it. Anyone else?"

Right, that was one more question asked and answered. Faen hoped there would not be many more, for he desired to spend as much time as he could taking in the majesty of Forever Fall.

"What kind of Grimm might we encounter in the forest?" It was Friesian who asked a question this time. Like Weiss', this was also a fair question to ask, and one that he very much wanted an answer to. It would be a major bummer if most of them did encounter Grimm while in the forest, but at least the answer to this question would give them an idea of what they might face.

"Grimm this far in Forever Fall are predominately Beowolves, Ursai and flocks of small Nevermores according to recent reports. While I know you can handle yourselves against such species of Grimm. I strongly advise you keep an eye out for anything, and head back here if you run across anything to strong for you to handle." Professor Taupe said, slipping a warning into her response. "Are there anymore questions?"

No one else in the group raised a hand or voice in response.

"Very well then. Remember, be back here by 4 o'clock with jars full of red sap. Good luck to you all," Taupe said to her charges with a note of finality. At the professor's words, the group of students began to disperse into the forest, while Taupe just stood there and watched them leave. How she would pass the time by herself Faen did not know, but trusted that she would be fine.

The professor was a veteran Huntress after all. It was himself and the other Beacon students that he needed to worry about.

"Let's get a move on, then." Faen said to his team, who nodded and started to follow him further into the forest. Choosing to walk together with Team RWBY and JNPR, though, a member of JNPR was missing from the group.

"Come on, Jauney buddy. Let's go!" Faen overheard Cardin say to show. Quickly glancing his eyes in Cardin's direction, Faen saw Cardin and his team drag Jaune along with them as they headed to another part of the forest.

This was good because Faen would not have to be forced to put up with Team CRDL's contemptable presence. Bad because he had no way of knowing what they were up. There was no proof that CRDL was up to something. But after weeks of 'knowing' them, Faen was driven by instinct to be alert and keep an eye out for anything with them around.

Actually, being in a forest full of Grimm already made Faen very alert. His negative disposition towards CRDL just made him more so.

Returning his focus back to himself, Faen and his team walked with RWBY and the three present members of JNPR into the forest. They had less than an hour to complete their objective and take in the atmosphere of Forever Fall.

Best make the most of this situation.

* * *

Unknown to Faen and the others, an unseen pair of eyes stared at the Beacon students from the shadows of the trees.

More specifically, the eyes focused on the sole elf in the group.

The watcher's eyes followed the elf as he walked further into the forest alongside the ten other students that he chose to accompany. Soon, the watcher's feet began to follow the elf as well. Each step taken by the watcher chosen with care so to avoid creating too much noise and to coincide with the students' pace.

* * *

Teams FFOG, JNPR and RWBY wandered through the forest for a good while. The sap they were looking for was in the trees that resided a good distance into the forest, so it took some time before they found the right trees that contained their objective. Finally, after a good deal of searching, the teams found what they were looking for and started filling their jars with red sap.

Faen was done filling his jar up with sap and decided to check on what his team was doing. First, Grey. Because, out of all members of FFOG, it was her that the elf wanted to keep an eye on the most.

"So, this is the sap we're after?" Grey muttered as she examined the red sap that filled her jar. The werewolf held the open top of her jar under her nose and took a couple sniffs of the red fluid, letting out a loud whistle soon after. "Hm, doesn't smell bad actually."

"Don't you dare think of consuming it. Remember what the professor said?" Faen reminded the werewolf of Professor Taupe's words against drinking their objective. Not that he believed Grey would actually do so, the elf just wanted to make sure that she did not go ahead with the idea. They had gathered their sap, Faen was not going to gather more.

"I won't. I'm just saying this stuff doesn't smell bad." The werewolf waved off his words and took a few more sniffs of the jar's contents. "Gets me wondering what maple sap smells like actually."

The white-haired elf continued to shoot a look at his best friend, warning Grey as well as making sure that she did not drink her jar of sap. After keeping an eye on the werewolf for half a minute, Faen decided to cease watching her, and move onto the others.

Turning away from Grey, Faen looked to his partner. The kitsune was sitting on the forest floor with her legs crossed, and a small notebook and pencil in her hands.

"Akagi, what're you doing?" Faen queried as he walked up behind her.

"Just doing a bit of sketching. Nothing much." The kitsune replied while pointing a thumb towards the filled jar of sap that rested beside her. Nodding at how Akagi had already gathered sap, Faen decided to take a peek over her shoulder and at what she was currently sketching on that notebook of hers.

What he saw was a sketch of a man, an elf actually. In the crook of his left arm he held a tall, enclosing helm with cheekguards and adorned with a horsehair plume. Over his torso was a cuirass of elven plate armour, bearing a proud hawk on its front. In their right hand the elf wielded a tall spear, and a long cloak fell from his shoulders. His handsome face was poised in a manner which could only be described as regal, and from his head, smooth long hair fell past his shoulders like a silken waterfall.

While only an incomplete sketch, Faen could not help but admire Akagi's pencil work. In fact, the longer he stared at it, the more Faen felt that he should know who it was she was drawing.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

"That's a nice drawing." Faen complimented his teammate before asking her his question. "Who is that supposed to be?"

"You think?" A hint of pride in Akagi's voice after hearing his compliment of her work. She looked up at him from her sitting position and rose her little book up to him so he may have a better view of her work. "It's Caraphinnor. The character from your book."

Now that Faen thought of it, the character that Akagi was drawing onto her notebook did resemble Caraphinnor, the eponymous 'Red Prince' from the book of the same title. A scene in the book described Caraphinnor to be dressed and armed in the same way that Akagi had drawn him, and Faen was amazed at how she was able to bring that description to life with just a pencil. Though, he had to admit that the face Akagi had drawn for Caraphinnor slightly resembled his own. Was that intentional?

If Faen had to take a guess, Akagi probably had difficulty in correctly depicting Caraphinnor's face. Or at least, did not properly remember how the book described the fictional character's facial appearance. Faced with this issue, she may have chosen to use his for inspiration.

That was what he thought anyway. If that was not the case, well, Faen was alright with that. It might just be him imagining things, and Akagi's drawing of Caraphinnor may not actually resemble him in any way.

"You're a damn fine drawer." Were the next words that passed Faen's lips after taking a couple seconds to think over what to say next. He had considered telling her of his aforementioned thoughts of her drawing's face, but thought against it. Guessing that it would be better to continue praising Akagi's skill at drawing than anything else.

"Hah, thank you Faen. I won't be the next Mikael Angelo right now, but who knows? If a Huntress isn't the job for me, maybe I can give art a try?" Akagi smiled at him, pleased at the way he expressed admiration for her work.

Ever since he and Akagi had started reading his book together, Faen could say without doubt that he and his partner were growing closer. The elf found it much easier to talk to the kitsune, no doubt helped by the time he spent reading to his partner. He also started to consider confiding certain things to her, but it would take a good while before he did that.

Either way. If things carried on this way, he might start calling Akagi 'friend' soon enough.

Still, with every positive there came a negative. One Faen quickly discovered when the other two members of FFOG learnt of his and Akagi's growing bond with each other.

When Grey and Friesian first found out about him and Akagi's little arrangement to read together, they sent the two cheeky looks that Faen did not like one bit. An attitude that was justified when Grey took it upon herself to imply that their time spent reading together involved more than what they said they were doing. That the elf and kitsune were up to something other than just reading. Of course, Faen immediately denied that he and Akagi were doing more than reading his book together, but the werewolf and dullahan still retained that cheeky look on their faces, despite his words.

He and Akagi were teammates and close acquaintances, though maybe friends in time. Nothing more.

Shaking his head, Faen turned away from the female members of his team and looked to Friesian. He was the last of the FFOG to start filling his jar, and he should be finished by now.

"And we're done!" The dullahan announced to the other members of his team. Casting his eyes towards Friesian's direction, the elf watched him seal his jar tight, before tossing it into the air with his right hand and catching the jar with his left in a showy manner.

"Careful with the jars, Friesian." Faen cautioned the dullahan of Team FFOG.

"Don't you worry Faen, I'm as careful as can be!" The dullahan laughed at Faen's concern, before promptly letting the jar in his hand slip from his grasp. As the jar of red sap was about to fall onto the ground, a hand shot out and caught it, much to the relief of everyone in FFOG.

Looking to who it was that had caught it, the four demi-humans saw that it was Yang from RWBY who had saved the jar.

"Real 'careful' there, Friesian." Yang said to the dullahan, who somewhat awkwardly accepted the jar when offered back to him by the blonde-haired human.

"Uh, thanks Yang. And I was being careful. I was just... testing your reaction times, that's why I dropped my jar." Was Friesian's reply to Yang as he took his jar. Everyone else shook their heads in amusement at his weak and almost comical excuse as to why he'd almost dropped his jar.

Anyway, with his intact jar in hand, Friesian placed it with the rest of FFOG's jars in the small crate they brought with them. With a notably bit more care than how he handled it earlier. All four jars in FFOG's crate were filled, so they really were done as Friesian had put it. By the look of things, so were the humans.

"So, you guys got your sap?" Grey queried the two other teams.

"Yup," Ruby proudly said as she joined in the conversation. Behind her, the other members of RWBY and the present members of JNPR joined the small group. With them they carried their crates of jars filled with their objective.

"After a bit of difficulty, yes." Ren added, sending a quick and accusing look towards Nora. The orange-haired girl was currently wiping what looked like red sap off the area around her mouth with a tissue, no doubt having been drinking it a few moments ago. Looks like someone could not resist tasting the sap.

Now that their group had reconvened, Faen took a moment to check their surroundings. Just to be safe.

As he searched their surroundings, particularly the spaces between trees, the elf saw no sign of anything or anyone that might threaten them. That was good yet slightly worrying at the same time. Faen honestly thought they should have run into some Grimm by now, it would have certainly spiced up their search for sap. He wasn't sure if the lack of Grimm thus far was either a sign of good fortune or an omen of grave danger to come.

Regardless of which ever it was, Faen would stay on alert no matter what.

Speaking of things to keep an eye out for, no one in the group had seen neither head nor tail of Team CRDL or Jaune since they parted ways. They could very well have buggered off to some other part of the forest for all he could tell. Wherever they'd gone, like with the Grimm, Faen would make sure to keep his eyes peeled for them too.

"Right, we're all done. We have about... 36 minutes before we need to be back with the professor. Anyone got an idea of what to do before then?" Akagi questioned the others after checking her wristwatch.

"I say we head back to Professor Taupe. As wonderful as Forever Fall is, I don't think we should stay out here for too long." Weiss suggested. If Faen knew anything about the white-haired girl, she probably wanted to head back to Beacon just so she could spend the rest of the day studying. Not a bad thing, but maybe she did spend too much time studying and not enough outside with her team.

"C'mon Weiss. It took us like 15 minutes to get our sap. We can afford a few minutes by ourselves," Ruby said in an attempt to convince Weiss that her idea was better. "I mean look at this place! It's amazing! Have you ever seen anything like it?"

"Well... there's certainly nothing like it in Atlas." Weiss reluctantly admitted to her team leader with a short huff. The heiress trying not to return Ruby's cheery look as if she might get infected with the red-hooded girl's near constant positivity.

"See? Now let's just sit back and spend some time together as a team." The red hooded girl beamed at the Schnee heiress as she wrapped an arm around Weiss' shoulder and made a sweeping gesture to the trees with her other arm. A wide smile on her face.

Faen couldn't help but shake his head at this little interaction between Ruby and Weiss. It kind of reminded the elf of his friendship with Grey, particularly when they were younger.

Looking over to the others in the small group, Faen saw they had agreed with Ruby and were doing what they could with the time they had here. Yang was trying to get Blake's nose out of her book. Not at all an easy task given how much she seemed to like reading. Ren and Nora were being... Ren and Nora. The former calmly looking on as the latter excitedly examined some of the leaves on the forest floor. Pyrrha, meanwhile, was looking out into the forest. A saddened and lonely look on her face.

Whatever was going on with Jaune must be really affecting her.

Faen approached her on the matter of Jaune and her recent mood before they went to Forever Fall. To his frustration, Pyrrha gave him no straight-forward answer and had proven almost as evasive in her responses to him as Jaune. She knew something, that was all he had learnt from Pyrrha. What it was exactly, Faen had given up trying to figure out.

"What say you, Faen?" Friesian's voice pulled the elf away from his thoughts on the humans and back to his team.

"We can stay here for a bit. This is a good opportunity for us all to get some fresh air." He responded to Friesian's inquiry with only a quick sideways looks to his team. Friesian was standing next to FFOG's crate of filled jars in his hands. Akagi was still sat on the forest floor, having resumed drawing on that little book of hers. Grey meanwhile was gazing at the tree before turning her attention to something on the ground.

"Shame you don't have your book on you. This would be a lovely place to read it," Akagi said as she put aside her book and pencil, and started to bask in the afternoon sun. Faen could agree Forever Fall had an atmosphere that would be nice for reading a book, but the threat of Grimm was a bit off-putting in Faen's point of view.

"Oh ho. How bold," Friesian abruptly remarked from behind Faen. Acting as if there was a deeper meaning behind what Akagi had said to the elf. Faen knew where the dullahan was going with this, and decided that it was best to not justify his words with an answer. He did feel like smacking the back of Friesian's head.

Yet, considering how awkward that would be given where his head was positioned, Faen thought against it.

"Ow!" Grey suddenly yelped in pain, causing Faen and a few others to jump and look to her to see if she was alright.

"You okay?" Faen was the first to ask the werewolf. His hand darting towards Gwaedh's grip as he checked his best friend for any signs of injury. Much to his relief, and admittedly his amusement, Grey was just hopping on one leg and holding onto her right foot.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought that was a rock and kicked it. Damn, felt like I kicked something metal." Grey quickly responded as she stopped hopping about and knelt down to nurse her right foot's big toe.

Drawing their attention to the object that Grey had kicked, the group of students saw that there was indeed a metal object jutting out from the ground. Naturally, curiosity struck all of them in an instant, a few of the students present started to try and pry the object out of the earth to see what it was.

After digging the metal object out from the forest ground, which took a minute and some effort, the band of students were amazed at what they found. It was a spear made entirely of metal. A broken one, yes, but a spear nonetheless. Judging from the amount of wear and corrosion that had started to progressively overtake the weapon, it had probably lain here for years.

Examining the spear, the students found that incorporated under the spear's worn tip was a ranged projectile weapon.

"A spear?" Ren questioned. Like most others present he was confused as to what this was weapon was doing all the way here.

"It's an Avaloni spear! An old Mk VIII model I think! Oooh, a stainless steel 30cm thrusting speartip with a-" Ruby excitedly squealed as she started to zip here and there, detailing some of the weapons specifications in a constant stream of words that Faen was struggling to keep up with the longer she spoke.

Faen _would_ have questioned Ruby how and why she could know such a thing, if he had not known her for the last several weeks. Yet he had, and the girl was so much of a weapon maniac, she could probably identify every kind of weapon in existence if one were to line them all up in front of her. She wouldn't be able to finish listing them though, for Ruby would more likely than not spend the rest of her life hyper analysing their every feature or detail. From the smallest differences in weight to their varying practical uses in battle.

He wasn't complaining. To each their own, he guessed.

Speaking of weapons, the weapon Ruby had identified was indeed an Avaloni spear. Wiping away a bit of dirt from the area beneath the tip revealed the crest of Avalon, a tree with curling branches and roots set over a diamond, engraved onto it. These weapons had been first invented and were still primarily manufactured and distributed in Avalon, which was why they were named as such.

Like most of the world, guns and switch-weapons had phased out many more 'classical' weapons since the end of the Great War, but the Avaloni Spear was still a staple weapon in the arsenal of Avalon's armed forces. In fact, the guard of Faen's hometown, Selene, were primarily equipped with these spears as their main weapon. The captains of the town guard were actually armed with newer models of the Avaloni Spear that fired energy beams instead of the standard Dust projectiles most models used as ammunition.

If a weapon such as this was here, then the students must have wandered close to the battleground where the Valeans and Demi-Humans fought the Altesians. The thought that they were near the place made a chill run up his spine, as well as raise his guard even more. The dangers their proximity to such a place of lingering negative emotions seemed to have also registered in the minds of the others. Causing a similar reaction as his own to grip them as well.

Perhaps heading back to Professor Taupe might be a very good idea right now.

"Say, wasn't there a battle in Forever Fall? You know, during the Great War?" Nora quizzed the others in their small gathering as she peered over their shoulders to get a better look at the weapon.

"Yes, I remember that from one of Oobleck's lessons. 'The Battle of Forever Fall'. It was one of Mantle's last major offensives before the Vacuo campaign." Blake spoke up from behind her book. "Valean soldiers, human and faunus, fought alongside demi-humans from Avalon against Lieutenant General Aarden's 4th Mantle Army Corp."

Really? She was reading one here of all times and places?

"You were actually able to focus on what he said? All I can do when he talks about bleedin' history is spin my head as I try to keep up with him." Friesian's head groaned in irritation from its position on his belt. The guy wasn't wrong, Professor Oobleck almost seemed like he was on a constant caffeine induced high that made him speak and move in a lightning fast pace.

"It's Blake. Besides, she's got a better _head on her shoulders_ for listening to people." Yang jumped into, throwing in a damn pun into her sentence. "Eh? Guys? C'mon, that was a good one."

Contrary to what Yang was expecting, absolutely no one was amused by her. In fact, it felt like the entire forest had gone completely silent after hearing that example of Yang's atrocious puns.

"Gosh dang it Yang." Ruby groaned at her sister's sense of humour. If one would consider calling it that.

"Wow, Yang. Just... wow." Friesian dryly said while slowly clapping in a sarcastic manner. Faen could not detect any sign that the he had taken offense to Yang's words, but he could tell that dullahan was annoyed like everyone else. In fact, if his head was attached to his shoulders, Faen was sure Friesian would be shaking his head right now.

"You guys thinking we're close to it? The battlefield?" Ren spoke, returning their minds to the subject they had been talking about before Yang's little interruption.

"Maybe. This spear was probably dropped by an Avalon soldier when the Valeans and Avaloni withdrew because of the Grimm. Not really sure if I want to find out," Faen decided to speak up and add his own voice to the conversation.

As the group talked amongst themselves for a bit, they began to hear something making its way towards them. At first it was a low rumbling sound that one could easily ignore or not even pick up in all the ambience that filled the forest air. Soon though, the sound drew closer to them, and the students were able to identify it as an old motor or engine.

Remembering where it was that they were, Faen and the others entered guard mode. It might be a random traveller journeying on an old piece of kit, yet it was best to be cautious this far away from civilisation. Who knows, it could be a bandit or some other lowlife.

What they saw was... well, peculiar.

What came before them was an old woman. _Very_ old judging by her highly wrinkled and leathery skin. Her face was covered in a great deal of scar-tissue to the point that it hideously deformed her, so much that Faen actually found it hard to look at her face. The old woman's wiry hair had whitened with age, while her eyes were coal-black. She wore a pink and blue sarafan dress that fell to the floor, and a woolen shawl over her shoulders.

What the old woman was riding around in was what really caught the students' attention.

The old woman drove a small four-wheeled and one-seated vehicle, if such a thing as old as that could still be called one, that resembled a mortar. By mortar Faen meant the bowl tools that were used with a pestle to crush and grind ingredients for food, medicines and other purposes. Why someone would even consider designing a vehicle to look like a mortar, if that was indeed what it was made to look like, was beyond his understanding. In her mortar-shaped vehicle, the old woman also had a small sack with a glass jar filled with red sap jutting out from its opening.

She drove her mortar-like vehicle up to them until she was about five paces away, before she stopped where she was and shut off the engine.

"Um, who are you?" Pyrrha uncertainly asked the old woman. She and everyone else lowered their weapons, for how could this elderly woman be a threat to them? Still, what was a woman of her age doing here all by herself?

"I, my dearies, am Baba Yaga. Who are you? I have never met you in this forest before." The old woman responded to Pyrrha's question, her croaky voice possessing a very noticeable and heavy accent from a region in Remnant that Faen could not place. Gods, even her name was odd to him.

It did not sound like it followed the colour theme that had dominated much of Remnant's societies. There was a possibility that it meant something in some archaic and sparsely known language, but Faen felt unsure. Why he was even bothering was also unclear to the elf.

He remained silent and let the others speak with her. While they conversed with Baba Yaga, he would listen to them and remain alert for anyone or anything else that might come out of the trees.

This did not appear to be a trap of some kind. Faen could not hear anyone else approaching or moving in the trees around them. Despite there being no signs of anyone else in the surrounding forest, Faen remained cautious in case of anything.

"We're, uh, students from Beacon Academy." Ruby responded after a short, hesitant pause. She and everyone else in RWBY, FFOG and (J)NPR were still a bit unsure about the fact they had encountered an elderly lady with an odd name in the middle of a Grimm filled forest. Hell, this sounded like something one might hear in a traditional folktale or some such story told at campfires or storybooks.

Children meeting an old woman in a forest who turns out to be a witch of some kind. All they needed to make it one now was an evil stepmother, a gingerbread house, wolves and a few other things. Then it would be a folk or fairy tale.

"'Beacon'? Yes, I should have guessed you were from that fancy school for... ah, never mind." Baba Yaga shook her head lightly and put her hands back on the steering wheel of her... vehicle. "Baba Yaga has much to do, and must go home soon."

"Wait. Do you live here? I mean... in Forever Fall?" Weiss questioned Baba Yaga, obviously astonished like everyone else was upon learning that this old woman was living in Forever Fall. Which would be crazier if she was doing so on her own.

"Hm? Yes, for the last three months, yes." Baba Yaga replied as she started up her engine, which let out a few concerning splutters before it was good to go. Faen honestly thought it would stall or even explode for a moment there. Seriously, how was that thing still working? "Baba Yaga will leave it soon. Too many Grimm. Too little Dust."

"Well, uh, good luck on your travels." Grey remarked after hearing the old woman's words.

Baba Yaga said nothing in response to Grey. She just nodded back at them and slowly drove on past the group of Beacon students on her old and spluttering vehicle. They stepped out of the way and let her go by without a word, and watched her disappear into the trees.

Faen was relieved that she was gone, for he couldn't bear to look on her face for a second longer and the gaze of her eyes had been disconcerting to the elf for some reason. The prevailing question of what she was doing here, and how she'd remained in the Forever Fall for the last three months, still scratched at his mind like how a cat might scratch its claws on a couch. The elf shrugged his shoulders and turned his thoughts to other matters than the strange lady he and his companions had just encountered.

Before anything else could be said or done by Faen or the other students, a loud roar tore through the air from somewhere in the distance. Hearing it alarmed the Beacon students and sent them all into a state of alertness, plenty of them, Faen included, reaching for their weapons.

The roar must have come from a very large Grimm if they could hear it all the way from here. A very large and no doubt dangerous Grimm. What it was exactly, Faen could not tell.

At the very least, he could say with confidence that whatever beast they had heard was not a damn Hydra Grimm. Much to Faen's relief. He and the others in FFOG were fairly well acquainted with how that serpent type Grimm sounded, due to their experience with one back in the team forming exercise at the start of Beacon. With the possibility of it being a Hydra eliminated, Faen and the others were left guessing what the Grimm was again, and why it had roared.

Soon after hearing this unknown Grimm's distant roar, three out of four members of Team CRDL came bursting out of the trees. Those three being Russel, Sky, and Dove, all three possessing looks of terror on their faces as they ran. There was no sign of either Cardin or Jaune with them.

"Ursa! Ursa!" Russel was yelling at the top of his lungs, before promptly colliding with Yang as he ran without looking where he was going. The blonde-haired human grabbed hold of the front of Russel's shirt and started to grill the boy for answers.

"What? Where?"

"B-Back there! I-I-It's got Cardin!" Russel was quick to respond. Pointing a finger back where he and the other two had come as he continued to try running away from the beast he claimed was in that direction.

"You ran because of an Ursa?" Faen stepped forward and questioned Russel accusingly, while fixing an icy glare of contempt on the human.

"Y-You don't understand, man! The Ursa was as big as a house!" Russel stutteringly tried to defend himself, cowering slightly before Faen, Yang and the others who surrounded him. "It dropped Cardin in seconds, man. W-W-We gotta get out of here before it comes for us too!"

A lone Ursa Grimm that was 'as big as a house'. While he was disgusted by Russel, Sky and Dove's show of cowardice and seeming lack of regard for their own team leader, his description of the Ursa rang several alarm bells in the elf's head. From his Grimm studies lessons and textbooks on the Creatures of Grimm, Faen had learnt of one kind of beast that fit such an account.

An Ursa Major.

Larger, stronger, tougher and solitary beasts when compared to their smaller cousins. The Ursa Minors. Such a Grimm could destroy villages on their own if no adequate forms of protection were present. Though not as great a threat to trained Huntsmen and even Huntsmen-in-Training, Ursa Majors were a grave danger to the weak and unprepared.

Despite the possible dangers of confronting such a Grimm, Faen felt a twinge of anticipation at the thought. While killing that Hydra back in Initiation was a far more impressive feat, slaying an Ursa Major was no joke either.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha suddenly cried, realising the danger that her team leader was in. For though Jaune had been in Beacon for nearly a month now, and could hold his own against young Beowolves, he was certainly not prepared to fight an Ursa Major.

Faen didn't want to be overly pessimistic about Jaune's odds against, but the elf could not help but feel that the human was, for lack of a better word, screwed. Like immensely screwed.

Others came to a similar such conclusion, and took immediate action.

"Yang! You gotta go with Blake, and tell Professor Taupe what's going on!" Ruby ordered her team. That cheery and excitable girl giving way to a more serious side that Faen had only seen glimpses of before.

"Go with them! There might be more Grimm!" Pyrrha also said to her own teammates, who followed after Yang and Blake.

"Hey, wait!" Faen called out to the three who had departed in the direction of Jaune, Cardin and the possible Ursa Major. They did not heed his call and disappeared into the trees. The elf would have preferred if they took a moment, only a couple of seconds, to consider the situation and form a plan together. But he supposed time was of the essence, and immediate action was a much more appropriate response to such a thing.

With a quick growl of annoyance, the elf turned towards his own teammates and issued to them orders of his own.

"Right. Akagi and Friesian, you guys go take the crate and head back to the professor with those four. Grey and I will investigate what in the gods' name is going on."

"You got it boss!" Friesian dutifully replied and nodded to the elf within an instant of Faen ordering him and Akagi. The kitsune and dullahan members of FFOG headed off towards the direction back to Professor Taupe's location. Meanwhile, Faen and Grey struck after Pyrrha, Ruby and Weiss.

The three humans had a small headstart, so the demi-humans would have to hurry up if they wanted to catch up to them.

As they ran after Ruby, Pyrrha and Weiss, the pair were almost immediately waylaid by Creatures of Grimm. Beowolves specifically. Out from the undergrowth they came leaping out at the two demi-humans with claws and fangs bared and ready to attack.

Caught off guard, but not unprepared. Faen and Grey immediately set about slaying their ambushers.

Faen drew Aglar from its scabbard and immediately slashed open an assailing Beowolf's throat in a single stroke. As he did, the elf rose his left arm and fired a bolt from his wrist-bow into the eye of a second Beowolf. Both Beowolves dropping dead in moments. While he eliminated those two, Faen heard Grey use her Semblance, the familiar wolf-like howl accompanying a great rush of wind.

Looking over to his teammate, Faen watched as three Beowolves were sent hurtling off their feet. Two crashed back onto the ground in a heap, while a third collided with a nearby tree. She then attached claw-blades to her gauntlets and leapt on all three, tearing them apart in a matter of seconds.

Though the two had taken care of these five, the two demi-humans could hear more coming their way. The elf could not help but let out a disappointed sigh at this predicament he and Grey had found themselves in. His hopes of this being a quiet trip were already reduced to ashes when he heard the roar earlier, this little run in with Beowolves was just those ashes getting ground into the dirt. They were probably drawn here by Russel, Dove, and Sky's distress when they ran this way. Faen and Grey having the misfortune of being here when they arrived.

At the very least, this run in with Grimm may prove a decent opportunity for practise his skills against them.

"So now these bastards come out to play!" Grey huffed as she walked up beside him, cracking her neck in anticipation of more fighting to come. "Do we go help the others? Or do we stay and kill all of these things?"

Good questions. While Faen did want to head on after the others, for he was sure that they may need a little help against the beast, and was loathe to appear to have abandoned them. He was also confident that Pyrrha, Ruby and Weiss could handle a single Ursa Major by themselves. They were strong enough to best a Deathstalker and Nevermore, an oversized Ursa would be a fairly trifling matter compared to the previous two.

"Kill them all," Faen uttered in response to Grey's question. While he spoke, he ran one of the edges of Aglar's blade along the open palm of his left hand before taking up a ready fighting stance.

"Heh, thought you might say that. Ah well, I'm sure Little Lamb and the others can take care of themselves." His companion nodded in agreement with his decision as she too prepared for the swiftly approaching Grimm.

"'Little Lamb'. Still don't understand why you call Ruby that," Faen snorted as he saw the shapes of more Beowolves rushing straight towards them. It was an average sized pack, made up of about twelve individuals. There was no sign of an Alpha or an individual in the processing of turning into an Alpha Beowolf, so this would make things much easier for the two.

"She's little and adorable as a lamb. Thus, 'Little Lamb'." Grey quickly replied to him as if granting such nicknames to people was a normal thing to do. The Grimm were almost on top of them, so they didn't have much time to idly speak to one another. "You take one half, I take the other?"

"Sure," he replied. The two separated and gave each other a bit of space so that they were less likely to bump into each other.

In their usual mindless manner, the Beowolves threw themselves at the two demi-humans. Absolutely heedless of the potential lethality of their prey. They were about to be educated on the folly of such a decision.

The first Beowolf of this pack that attacked Faen was easily taken care of when the elf pulled Aglar's trigger, switching the sword into its spear-form. The bladed was thrust forward by the transformation and stabbed right into the first Beowolf's open mouth, the tip of the blade bursting out the back of the Grimm's head. As was their way, the death of their packmate did not dissuade the others, and they just kept rushing towards Faen and Grey.

Faen gripped Aglar's spear-form with both hands and freed its blade from the slain Beowolf, and turned it towards the others that now approached him.

He fired a bolt form his wrist-bow at the knee of another Beowolf, debilitating its ability to move on its legs and causing the Grimm to roar in pain. This action gave the elf time to deal with the other Grimm attacking him.

One leapt up at him, but Faen was able to aim Aglar right in the beast's path and thrust the weapon forward. Impaling the Beowolf by its chest. Using all of his strength, Faen used Aglar to hoist the impaled Beowolf over his head before switching the weapon back to its spear-form. The slain Beowolf collapsing to the forest floor behind him.

Seeing the Beowolf he'd shot in the knee limping towards him, Faen decided it was not worth killing that creature with either Aglar or Gwaedh. So he fired his wrist-bow at it again, making sure to aim for its eye this time. The bolt flew and shot through the left eye of the Beowolf, pierced its skull, and killing the creature right then and there. Not much of a challenge that one, but at least that Beowolf had served as target practise for him.

With three of the Beowolf pack killed, Faen turned and saw three more Beolwolves were charging at him. Hopefully these could prove more of an exercise for the elf, but Faen didn't really hold onto too much hope for that to be the case.

Sending a quick glance over to Grey, he saw the werewolf block a Beowolf's attack with the back of her left gauntlet, and then proceed to rip open her assailant's torso and lower jaw with an upward slash of her right gauntlet. On the floor around the werewolf, Faen saw that Grey had already killed three other members of this Beowolf pack. Each one in varying states of dismemberment.

She was doing fine, and did not require assistance from him.

Returning his focus to his half of the Beowolves, Faen slid Aglar back to its scabbard on his back, and took Gwaedh out from its sheathe at his side. The creatures had proven themselves of minimal threat to him and Grey, not that he expected anything else, and decided to end this quickly. If they could finish things here in less than a minute, they could hurry on after the others.

Striding towards his next set of assailants with his dao-like weapon in hand, Faen cut down one with a slash to the front of its torso. Gwaedh's sharp edge biting through the flesh of its left shoulder and down to the right of its midsection. The elf kicking its body away in disdain.

As the slain Beowolf collapsed to the floor, one of its packmates stepped around it as it fell, and viciously swiped both of its arms at him. The other Beowolf attacking Faen by doing something similar in how it jumped over its fallen packmate's corpse and tried to bite its jaws down on his. Clever to attack him at the same time, but not clever enough.

Reacting quickly, Faen ducked under the arms of the first beast, also avoiding the Beowolf who jumped at him as he did. Moving under the swiping Beowolf's arm, Faen slashed Gwaedh at the creature's exposed side, slicing it open and almost certainly killing the Beowolf. Just to be sure, Faen got behind the Beowolf and brought Gwaedh down with a two-handed swing that sliced open its spine. The beast let out a pained groan before its lifeless body crashed onto the floor with a thud.

With that Beowolf killed, the elf turned his attention to the other Beowolf that had leapt at him a moment earlier.

The Grimm did not hesitate or relent at the sight of another of its kin being slain so easily by the elf, and swiftly advanced towards him. Such mindless ferocity and hate. It was one of the reasons why Faen despised the Creatures of Grimm. The Grimm attacked Man, Faunus, and Demi-Human for no known or justifiable purpose other than the destruction of the three. Because of that reason did the monsters earn Faen's spite.

Faen fired a bolt into the chest of the advancing Beowolf, causing the creature to slow for a moment, but despite the wound, it kept on charging towards him. Disregarding the bolt in its shoulder as if it were nothing. A slightly more resilient beast, but Faen would make sure it died all the same. It was a simple Beowolf, one nowhere near beginning to turn into the Alpha-stage variant of its species. What could it do to him on its own?

Running at the Beowolf, Faen saw it pull its right arm in preparation for a swiping attack with said arm. Quickly devising how he'd deal with this beast, he rose Gwaedh and swung it a second before the Grimm as the two came within arm's reach of each other. By anticipating when and where the Beowolf would swipe at him, the elf was able to cut off the creature's arm after a perfectly timed dodge away from its attack.

The Grimm did not have time to register the loss of its arm when Faen spun and sliced it in half at its waist. It took a few stumbling steps forward before collapsing dead in two pieces onto the floor. Another Beowolf slain.

One organism in a countless, dark horde trying to extinguish the light of intelligent peoples and civilisation. Ah well, at least there was one less monster to terrorise the people of Remnant.

Looking over to Grey, the elf saw her toss one last Beowolf over her shoulder, and then stab her claw-blades into its chest a moment later. After making sure that the Beowolf was dead, the werewolf pulled her blades out of from the creature and returned his gaze. The ravenous battle-light in her eyes steadily fading away as she took a couple steps towards him.

"Hah, that got the blood running. Should we get going?" Grey questioned him, nodding her head towards where the others had gone to confront the Ursa Major.

"Yeah, we-" Faen paused as he speaking, having heard something move in the trees behind him. Heavy inhuman feet were thundering towards him. The alarmed look on Grey's face as her eyes fell on what was running up to him telling Faen all he needed to know.

The elf spun round when he heard it draw closer, slashing Gwaedh horizontally at the creature charging at him. Imagine Faen's surprise when his sabre's blade more or less bounced off the creature's pitch-black hide. Not a second later, he felt his Aura flare up and guard him against a strike from this new creature's claws. A strike that actually sent Faen flying off his feet and crashing into Grey.

"Ow!" The werewolf yelped as his body collided with hers. Their collision knocked her onto the floor alongside him.

"Not my fault," Faen grunted as he scrambled back onto his feet as soon as he could. Good thing that he did, for the beast run up to them and slashed at him with its large, clawed hand again. He jumped out of the way of the strike of its left arm, and prepared to parry or evade an attack from its right.

Yet, to his surprise, the attack he predicted did not come. In fact, the Grimm just swung at him with the same arm it had used a moment ago. Before this Grimm's strike could land, or Faen counter or dodge it, a howl filled the air and a sudden gush of strong wind sent the Grimm off its feet.

Faen did not need to look over to his best friend to know that was thanks to her. While he was sure that her intervention was not necessary, Faen was still thankful for it. It could allow him to examine this beast and come up with a plan to kill the thing. This creature was more ferocious than the Grimm he'd just slain, stronger too. Whatever this thing was, it would be a much more interesting fight than the small-fries he'd previously faced.

"Thanks," the elf quick expressed his gratitude to his friend.

"Your welcome. This one looks a bit more serious than the others," Grey said as she took up a ready stance to fight this creature.

Standing next to Grey, Faen took a moment to size up the beast. With a clearer view of just what this Grimm was, Faen saw this beast to be another Beowolf. Unlike those before it, however, this beast was in the process of transforming into the Alpha-stage of a Beowulf Grimm's life-cycle, and looked almost ready to become one. Over its body were a fair number of battle-scars. Most notable of these battle-scars was a scar left by a bladed weapon that marked its fierce bone-mask, and when the beast moved, it was with a limp in its step. The most glaring thing Faen saw as he assessed the Beowulf, was that it's right arm from the elbow down was missing. A stump existing where a forearm should be.

The scar on its bone mask. The limp in its gait. Most importantly, its missing forearm, brought to mind his Initiation in the Emerald Forest. Particularly, a Beowolf that he had encountered and forced to retreat as he made his way to the forest.

The same one he had literallly disarmed during their battle.

"Well hello, beast. It has been a while." Faen greeted the Beowolf before him, twirling his sabre in his hand as he did. Of course, the beast did not understand him, but the elf believed that it had an feeling that what he had just said to it may have been a taunt.

"Friend of yours?" Grey asked, obviously curious about that comment he'd just made.

"Met and cut its arm off during Initiation. It _might_ remember me," he replied to Grey's question. He certainly remembered it.

Its survival, despite the loss of an arm, was remarkable. A wound such as the one he had dealt would normally prove fatal, or at least hamper a beast's ability to fight and survive. From its size, the beast had not just survived their prior encounter, but continued to grow. This was a sign of not only its strength and resilience, but also the need for this beast to be destroyed.

Quickly, Faen tried to formulate a plan as to how he would kill the beast before him. Its right side would be vulnerable due to its lack of a right forearm, yet its hide, as proven by a previous attack, had grown tougher since their last encounter. If the beast proved to much, he may be forced to use his Semblance. An outcome that Faen was not at all looking forward to if the situation came to it.

"Faen!" Grey called out to him all of a sudden.

The one-armed Beowolf had charged at the two, its eyes filled with malevolent hatred focused squarely on Faen above all else. Because of course it would. What else would it bloody do.

Faen fired a bolt from his wrist-bow at the Beowolf, while Grey shot all the blades her gauntlets possessed at the charging beast. To the pairs dismay, their projectiles had minimal effect on the Beowolf. The elf's bolt bouncing off its hide. While the werewolf's blades only seemed to graze the beast, as the beast attempted to dodge Grey's attacks.

Not even slowed by their attack, the Beowolf continued its relentless advance. Once it was about three metres away from them, the beast used its hindlegs to launch itself at the two.

The elf was just able to avoid the larger Beowolf chomping its teeth down on his head by sidestepping the attack, Grey getting knocked aside as she tried to block a swipe from the beast's its arm with her gauntlets. Seeing an opportunity to try and finish the beast, Faen rose Gwaedh and prepared to lodge its blade behind the beast's boney mask. Before his strike could land, however, the beast whacked Faen aside by using its head to hit the elf's chest. Throwing him a short distance through the air, before his back slammed onto the forest floor.

Still reeling from the beast's attack, Faen barely had time to away from the Beowolf as it leapt at him at him again. The claws of its only arm tearing through the grass and dirt of where he had been a second ago.

His back to the floor again, the elf took this chance to hack at the beast's legs. It wouldn't kill the beast, and there was no guarantee that Gwaedh's steel would bite, but Faen saw no other choice but to try this at least. So Faen swung his sabre at the Beowolf's leg, and was rewarded with the satisfying sound of sharp metal cutting into Grimm flesh.

Gwaedh did not burrow deep into the creature's leg. Only going a third or quarter way into its knee-joint, but that might be enough to give him and Grey an edge against the creature. If not, the pained roar the Beowolf let out as Faen wounded it was pleasing to hear. A slight bit disturbing how much it pleased him, actually.

Needless to say, the beast did not like that one bit, and lifted one its leg to stamp down on his face. Again, Faen rolled out of the way, this time clambering onto his feet so he could fight this bastard much easier. As he got back onto his feet, Faen fired another bolt at the creature, aiming for its eyes, but in his haste he'd actually aimed at its bone mask. The bolt doing nothing but chip off a small fragment of the mask when it finally hit, and fall harmlessly to the ground. It was as if he'd thrown a pebble at a boulder.

Internally, Faen kicked himself for his imprecise shot, but didn't let it get to him. Well, at least not too much. If he lost focus on the fight, he'd be kicking the bucket if he let this one-armed Beowolf get the best of him.

He'd work on his aim when he got back to Beacon.

Furious at how it had not already killed him yet, the one-armed Beowolf launched itself at him again. With even greater fervour and rage than before. Faen was prepared to meet the creature, already planning to exploit its near defenseless right side. However, Faen felt a sudden gale-force wind begin to pick up and rush in from his right. Knowing just what was about to happen, Faen jumped backwards, avoiding the Beowolf's attack as it pounced on where he had stood, and into his and Grey's trap.

Glancing over to the right, Faen was able to witness Grey unleash her Semblance on the one-armed Beowolf once again. This time her howl was louder and the winds that accompanied it were much fiercer, the nearby trees creaking as the wind Grey summoned forth whipped at them. The Beowolf was not a tree, and though it dug its claws into the ground, it was thrown off its feet after enduring Grey's Semblance for several seconds. It was not killed, and landed a good distance away from them with seemingly no harm done to it.

The elf grimaced at this. This Beowolf was certainly a real tough bastard that just wouldn't lay down and die. Its continued survival fueling Faen's desire to slay this beast into an intense flame inside him. He might actually lose his cool if he was not careful.

Grey ran up beside him, taking up a ready stance again. Her breathing was a little heavy and her voice was a slight bit raspy, both due to the use of her Semblance. A bit of breathlessness and a raspy voice was a side effect of her using it, especially when used repeatedly in a short period of time. If only that was the side effect that came with him using his, Faen grumbled to himself, and not for the first time.

"We _must_ end this!" Faen growled, behind his cloth mask his teeth were clenched tightly. Grey grimly nodding in agreement with him, before her face brightened in the way it did whenever she came up an idea. The only way to tell if it would be a good or bad idea, or perhaps both at the same time given the fact that it was Grey, was to hear her out.

"Swordwolf?" She proposed to him. The suggestion really catching the elf's attention.

Faen understood what Grey meant by that, though he disagreed with the codename she'd used to name it. She wanted them to perform a tactic they had created together, where Grey would overwhelm the opponent in an unrelenting onslaught of attacks, while Faen would leap in and deliver the final decisive strike. They had used it a fair few times, successfully as well, but the two friends had never settled on what to name this tactic of theirs.

"I swear I never agreed to that name," he shook his head at Grey without taking his eyes off the Beowolf.

"Howling spear?" Grey suggested to him. If he wasn't so focused on the Beowolf, Faen would have taken a moment to roll his eyes at her.

"Ancalimon guard my soul." Faen said, letting out a quick prayer to the Phoenix King of Heaven, the sun god and chief deity of the Elves' religious pantheon. Saying it both as a cry for aid in what he was about to do, and to help him put up with Grey's bleeding name suggestions. He had his own ideas, but now was not really the time to be contemplating on names for combat tactics.

Faen stood behind Grey and let her go about performing the first part of this tactic that the two had unofficially created together.

Beginning their attack, Grey charged at the one-armed Beowolf, who in turn charged at her.

Grey and the Beowolf clashed with each other the moment they were close enough to swing their claws of metal and bone at each other. She was able to dodge away from the Beowolf's attacks, slashing her claw-blades at its arm, legs and wherever her arms could reach to strike at the beast. Her attacks did little, causing only flesh wounds, yet that was not exactly what she was meant to do. Grey's objective was to draw its attention away from Faen as he prepared to strike when the opportunity arose.

Again, its greatest weakness was its right side, but its hide was tough and its boney parts were tougher. There was one place were he might be able to wound the Beowolf with a relatively minimal amount of difficulty. Its eyes. If he could plunge a weapon through its eye, Faen figured he might be able to pierce through its skull and kill the creature.

The trouble with this idea was actually stabbing his weapon into one of them. Gwaedh would be unsuitable for the task, so the elf sheathed the sabre and took out Aglar again. This was much better.

He could honestly go for the neck. Maybe jam his weapon into its neck and somehow cut the Beowolf's head from its shoulders. He could try that, but Faen felt like challenging himself, and going for its eyes would make for an interesting one.

Seeing an opportunity to strike, Faen sprinted forward as Grey made the creature turn its back to him. If he was quick enough, he could latch onto it back, climb up to its shoulder and stab at its eyes or neck from behind. While he ran at the Beowolf, he was able to lock eyes with Grey as she dove away from an attack. With little time, Faen pointed his free hand at his eye, signalling to her what his target was. What she could do with that information, if she understood in the first place, Faen was not sure.

Whatever the case, Faen needed his mind focused on the task at hand to perform the final part of their tactic.

As he drew near, however, the Beowolf sensed his approach. Either by hearing his fast approaching bootsteps or smell his much stronger scent as he came closer. Swiftly it turned from Grey and swung its right claw at him in an attempt to intercept the elf. In response, Faen rolled under the attack, and would have moved on if the sensation of teeth biting down on his swordarm did not stop him.

The beast had brought its head down and snapped its jaws on his right arm. His Aura protecting the elf's arm from being turned into a bloody mess or from being torn from its socket. It still hurt though, and he could do little to relieve himself from it. Punching the Beowolf in the eye with his left arm did nothing but agitate the beast even more, making it bite down harder on his arm. Well, if it would not relent, neither would he.

He would see this beast dead at his feet before he allowed it to best him.

Through the pain, Faen saw Grey leap onto the Beowolf's back from behind and stab her claw-blades into the weaker base of its neck. The metal claws greedily sank into its flesh, the beast reacting instantly by rearing its head back and roaring in tremendous pain. Incidentally, this freed Faen's right arm and gave him an opportunity to strike back at the Beowolf.

Grey remained latched onto the Beowolf, her right arm wrapped around its neck while the blades of her left gauntlet still biting into its pitch-black flesh. She looked like she might actually try to bite her teeth into it for a moment there. Wouldn't be the first time she bit an opponent. The Creature of Grimm attempted to toss the werewolf off of it, from clawing at Grey with its only arm to violently shaking her off. It's numerous attempts failed, and Faen found this all to his advantage.

Switching Aglar into its spear-form, Faen gripped his weapon with both hands, his Aura rapidly alleviating any pain in his right arm, and prepared to thrust the weapon into the first weakpoint that came within range. It was strangely thrilling, the waiting.

That opportunity came not a few moments later.

The one-armed Beowolf suddenly lurched its head and back forward in another attempt to throw Grey off of it, and because of some clever positioning, Faen was right in front of the beast as it did. As the beast threw its head forward, the white-haired elf saw his chance and thrust Aglar straight into its open, roaring mouth. Yet, as Faen stabbed Aglar forward, his mind filled with the intense desire to not just kill the Beowolf, but to destroy it completely and make it suffer while doing so. Involuntarily, the elf's Aura reacted to his desires and emotional state, and activated his Semblance.

Faen's body shimmered with white light as his Semblance took effect. Aglar's blade glittering like ice as his desire to defeat this foe filled it and his every being. By the time he had noticed this, it was already too late for him to do anything about it.

His blade struck, piercing the damnable beast's skull and erupting out the back of its head. Once that had happened, a bright, white light burst forth from Aglar's blade and Faen's vision went dark.

When next he opened his eyes, Faen saw the blue expanse that was the sky, and the red leaves of Forever Fall swaying in the wind above him. Meanwhile, beneath him Faen felt the hard ground and soft grass beneath him. He must have collapsed or something, not too great a surprise for Faen considering how much Aura he must have put into it, if unintentionally.

Speaking of Aura, the elf did not need to reach for his Scroll to tell him anything about his Aura levels. Faen was certain that he had completely, or almost completely, depleted his entire Aura reserves. A good deal of his body's strength felt like it had been stripped away from him in the short instance that he used his Semblance. While tiredness and a sense of being physically drained was a sign of the overuse of Aura, it really sucked that a single use of his Semblance resulted in both. And by the gods above and below him, did Faen feel absolutely terrible.

"Faen!" Grey urgently cried out to him as she quickly knelt on the ground next to him and began to inspect him for injuries. Thankfully, she appeared to not find any, meaning she wouldn't try to baby him too much once they were out of here.

"Gods. Almost feels like I'm on Death's door," Faen groaned as he sat up. Quickly surveying the area around him and Grey, he saw that bodies of the Beowolf they'd slain were mostly evaporated by now. Yet, among the dead, he saw no sign of the one-armed Beowolf. "Ugh. The beast... did I kill it?"

"Your one-armed _friend_? Yeah. Disappeared into nothing almost instantly," the werewolf nodded in response. She finished her inspection of him and gave the elf a second nod, telling him that he was looked physically alright. He sure didn't feel alright. "Thought we were doing fine by ourselves. Didn't think you were going to use your Semblance."

"Neither was I," Faen muttered back. His friend's wolf ears perked up at this, and from her facial expression, she looked about ready to grill him fr information behond what he'd just said. Though, he could safely guess that Grey already knew what he as talking about.

"Lemme guess. 'Heat of the moment'?" Grey responded, quoting words he'd used before to explain an involuntary or unexpected use of his semblance. This last time that had happened was during his spar with Pyrrha.

"Just... Just help me." He sighed as he reached up a hand to her, the werewolf chuckling as she clasped his arm and pulled him onto his feet. He felt uneasy on his legs, and thought he might collapse back onto the floor any second. Thankfully for him, Grey took his left arm and wrapped it over her shoulder to help him stand and walk.

She also passed him Aglar, which he sheathed back into its scabbard on his back. He must have dropped it when he blacked out earlier.

It was then that, after all that excitement had died down, the familiar forms of Pyrrha, Ruby and Weiss emerge from the trees. Relieved expressions forming on their faces as soon as they laid eyes on the two demi-humans. They quickly turned to looks of concern when they saw Grey assisting Faen stand on his legs, and the dead bodies of Beowolves surrounding them. Ruby zipping over to the pair and bombarding the two with questions.

"Oh my gosh, Faen, do you need help?! Are you hurt?! Where are you hurt?! You don't look hurt! Did you kill all these Grimm?! Are you mad we didn't get here in sooner?!" The speed in which Ruby spoke to Faen and Grey was hard to keep up with, just like the speed in which she zipped here and there to make sure they were okay.

Faen waved off her concern. Sure he felt terrible, but he wasn't made of glass. He'd be fine... in thirty minutes or more.

"Um, what happened here?" Weiss questioned the two demi-humans as she grabbed hold of her team leader, trying to get her to calm down and stay in one place. Which was a good thing, because Faen was starting to get a headache from trying to keep up with the rapid stream of words Ruby was saying. "We heard roars, howls, and, on our way here, saw a burst of white light."

"Nothin' much. Just ran into some Grimm while we tried to follow after you lot." Grey answered the trio for him. She then looked behind the humans, her eyes searching for something or someone in the trees that they'd come from. "Where's Jaune and Cardin? Is at least Jaune alright?"

The three looked to each other, coming to a silent agreement before turning back to the demi-humans and responding to Grey's question.

"He's fine. More than fine actually. He'll be with us shortly," Pyrrha replied. Interestingly, her response was not with the glumness that she tended to express when talking about Jaune for the last few days. Instead, she seemed brighter now, and appeared to be proud of something or other. Whatever its was, Faen was actually curious enough to want to find out.

"Uh, okay. How about the Grimm? Did you kill whatever was over there?" Grey now asked. Pyrrha's answer didn't seem to satisfy Grey, and the champion's change in mood also appeared to intrigue her the same way it intrigued him.

"It was an Ursa Major. And Jaune killed it all by himself!" Ruby quickly responded, with a noticeable amount of pride in her voice, though it was nowhere near the amount present in Pyrrha's. Anyway, Ruby's little declaration surprised both elf and werewolf.

Jaune? Jaune had killed an Ursa Major? On his own?

The elf wasn't sure if the three were trying to pull on his leg in some poor attempt at a joke. However, judging from their expressions and their body language, he could only assume that they were telling him and Grey the truth. Still, Faen found what Ruby had told him hard to believe, and would very much like physical proof or to see Jaune to discern the truth for himself. Even then he may find it a bit hard to come to grips with.

He did not have to wait long, for Faen picked up footsteps coming from the trees where the three Huntresses-in-Training had come from. Looking past them, Faen and the others saw the blonde human boy walk up to them, his sword held in one hand and shield clasped in his other. He seemed a bit exhausted, probably from his battle against the Ursa Major if Ruby's words rang true, and deep in thought as well. The human boy reacted with surprise when he noticed their presence, and awkwardly greeted them all.

"Oh, uh, hey... guys." It honestly looked like the human boy was expecting to be met with anger and chastisement. Well, given how he had been acting lately, it was understandably why he'd be like that. "I... uh... What're are you guys doing here?"

"We heard a roar and were on our way when we ran into some Grimm. Are you okay, Jaune?" Pyrrha immediately responded, confusing Faen quite a bit. She, Ruby and Weiss had supposedly watched Jaune kill the Ursa Major, had they not made themselves known to Jaune?

"I... I, um... I killed an Ursa Major." Jaune replied to Pyrrha with a nervous smile, though saying so made his chest swell with pride.

Pyrrha and Ruby reacted by pretending to look surprised, while Weiss acted like... well, Weiss. For their part, Faen and Grey were still unsure what the other three were playing at.

Faen really, really wanted an explanation on what exactly was happening right now.

More footsteps, this time when they looked, the group saw that it was Cardin walk out from the trees. The human cast a quick look at them before grunting something, and continuing to walk towards where the professor and the others were supposed to be. Faen was expecting some kind of snide insult or something along those lines, but that one did not come was incredibly puzzling to him.

Before they could go anywhere or do anything else, the Beacon students heard numerous howls fill the air of the forest around them. Faen could also feel the ground shake slightly as several thunderous feet pounded upon it, growing stronger as whatever was approaching them drew closer and closer. The elf could not help but let his head fall while letting out an irritated groan the moment he sensed the oncoming Grimm.

"Ugh, more Grimm? Wonderful." Faen sarcastically grumbled that last part to himself, adding a clenched fist to the signs of his growing dissatisfaction with their current position. Why did Fate choose to screw with him in some of the most unfavourable of times?

His mood was not helped by the fact that he was also not exactly in any condition to fight row now. The others were here and could do all the fighting for him, but his presence was that of a liability, and could endanger them if things got too dangerous. Blasted Semblance and the side effects of using it.

A large pack of Grimm, made up of over two dozen individuals this time, tore their way out of the surrounding trees and ran at the group of students. Ruby, Weiss and Pyrrha drew out their weapons and prepared to face the creatures. Jaune took up a defensive stance as well, a poor stance Faen would like to point out, and even Cardin joined them, and without saying a word or comment that made Faen's blood boil. Faen and Grey did the same as the others, the former drawing out his sabre while the latter unfolded her gauntlet and attached her claw-blades to it.

Considering that he barely had any energy left in him and that Grey was helping him stand, the two would not be doing much fighting wise. Gods, he could barely lift Gwaedh to defend himself.

It was then that as the Grimm were only a few metres away from them, bullets suddenly ripped through the air in high-speeds and tore five Beowolves to ribbons. Looking up, Faen and the others saw the Bullheads they'd taken to Forever Fall hanging above them. The barrels of a chin-mounted machine gun turret of one Bullhead warm and smoking after having unleashed that volley of bullets onto the Grimm.

Figures then leapt down from the Bullheads and joined the five on the ground. Immediately they leapt at the Grimm, and began to hack and slash their way through the beasts. It took Faen a second to realise that they were his teammates and the others from Teams RWBY and JNPR, but with them was someone else. He soon realised that this person was none other than Professor Taupe, and she was incredible. There were no other words to describe her.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Taupe was on the move and clove a Beowolf in two with a single downward swing of her kopis. She then turned her weapon in preparation for a horizontal swing, and proceeded to slash open the stomach of another Beowolf in a blink of an eye. A third Beowolf tried to get the jump on her from the side, but the Professor spun on the spot and lopped of its head in a single sweeping slash.

That wasn't all though. For the gorgon then followed that up by jumping into the air and kicking the dismembered head straight into a fourth Beowolf's face, while bashing the face of her gunshield against the snout of a fifth.

Back on the ground, Taupe ducked to evade a savage strike from another Beowolf's claws. The moment she had avoided the attack, Taupe brought up her gunshield and fired its gun-attachment. Blowing a hole right through the creature's torso as its limp body was sent flying backwards into a couple of its packmates behind it.

Three Beowolves now attacked her at the same time. Taupe fired her gunshield at the face of one, blowing off half of its head, then proceeded to block the claws of the Beowolf to her left. She dealt with the other by kicking one of its legs, snapping it into an angle that was painful to look at, then splitting its head in two with a single swing.

Taupe's combat skills and the speed in which she moved was honestly shocking to Faen and those with him. Ruby practically had stars in her eyes as she watched. Those who fought beside her also appeared to be in awe the professor's combat skills. For Faen it reminded him of how far he and the others were before they became anywhere as good as her or other Huntsmen.

They were good, and, in Faen's _humble_ opinion, some of the most skilled students of their year group. But they still had a ways to go before they reached their full potential.

A pair of large Ursai now joined in on the fun, not Ursa Majors thankfully. The beasts were probably drawn in by the sight of the Bullheads or sounds of battle, if they were not already on their way here. They charged through the trees on all four powerful limbs, crushing anything in their path.

Taupe stood there, steadfast and undaunted by the appearance of such large Grimm. She rose her shield and angled its mirror-like face to reflect the glare of the Sun into the eyes of the two Ursa, momentarily blinding them. This moment was enough for the professor, for she immediately dashed towards them with assistance of her Aura, then leapt between the two Grimm and spun in mid-air. As she spun the professor swung her kopis, the sword slicing through the thick necks of the Ursai.

She landed back on the ground in a kneeling position. Behing Taupe, both Ursai collapsed to the floor, their severed heads falling to the floor with them.

Behind his cloth half-mask, Faen's jaw had fallen as far as it physically could after having watched what the professor did to those Ursai. If he were in a cartoon or anime, his jaw would likely have hit the floor.

Bursting out from the tree branches came a flock of juvenile Nevermores that flew straight towards the group from Beacon. Razor-sharp beaks and talons ready to rend and tear their flesh.

The students prepared to face this new threat, but the professor was the first to act against this new batch of Grimm. Turning her face towards them, her body shimmered with a brown light, and a second later, the entire flock of Nevermores froze and began to fall to the floor. With a few rapid and sweeping cuts, Taupe slew all the Nevermores as they fell past her. Cutting them all into two or three pieces which tumbled harmlessly onto the ground around the professor.

With them dead, all of the Grimm had been eliminated and the ground of Forever Fall was littered with their dissolving corpses. The professor stood there for a moment, allowing the students a moment to admire the gorgon while she was surrounded by her kills. Whether she was doing it on purpose they weren't really clear, but it was an admirable sight, that much they were certain of.

"Whoa," Grey exclaimed after Taupe and the others had finished off the last of the Grimm. Faen nodding with her in agreement. Sure the others did some impressive stuff to kill the Grimm that the professor didn't, but this was the first time they had seen her actually fight or do anything other than her duties as a professor.

Sliding her kopis back into its leather scabbard, Taupe's metallic mask immediately snapped over to face Jaune and Cardin. Her snake-hair doing the same as the woman they were attached to. She strode over to them, and once she was a few paces away from them, the demi-human professor crossed her arms and spoke to them.

"Mr Arc. Mr Winchester. I see you are both alright, how very fortunate. Your teammates told me you were being attacked by an Ursa Major, but it appears you were able to handle it by yourselves." The two humans shrank a bit under her gaze, either because of said gaze and the snakes on her head, or for some other reason. "We will discuss what happened between you two once we return to Beacon. An incident report, I hope you understand."

Both humans wordlessly nodded to Taupe in understanding of what she had said. Faen was thankful that he was not in their position right now, though he still wanted to understand what had happened between them over there. If he had to he'd _ask_ Jaune what happened, and by _'_ _ask'_ Fpaen meant interrogate the bugger until he spilled the beans and explained himself to the elf. He wouldn't do something as drastic as break threatening Jaune with violence, he was considered a friend of a friend, so his personal honour demanded he not harm Jaune unless he was given good reason to.

The professor then cast her eyes on Faen, quickly noticing how he was being carried by Grey. Concern flashed in her eyes at the sight of his less than able state, and immediately hurried over to him.

"Mr Tatharion, are you alright?" Taupe urgently questioned Faen as she, like grey before her, checked his person for injuries.

"Never better." Faen responded, though he was anything but. Not a response he would normally give a professor, bug given his mood and the things that had happened thus far, he slipped and said what he just had.

"Hmph, you of all people would make a clever remark now?" The professor snorted at him. She didn't seemed angered or annoyed by his remark, but Faen decided to not say anything else. "Come on. I do believe this field trip has proven exciting enough for you all."

Nodding in agreement with the professor, Faen and the others started to follow her to the Bullheads which were lowering themselves to the ground one at a time. Seeing their leader in the state he was in, Friesian and Akagi ran over and provided aid to him as well. The dullahan taking his other arm while the kitsune led the three other members of Team FFOG to their Bullhead as it came for them. While he did not like having to be helped, for it showed weakness, he could not really refuse it now can he?

It was a good sign though. They'd come close enough together that they were willing to help each other without needing to be told or asked to.

FFOG's Bullhead descended until it was hovering less than a metre from the ground. With the help of his teammates, Faen climbed onto Bullhead and was allowed to sit on the airship's foldable seat as it took back to the air. Thank goodness, he wasn't sure how long he could stay on his feet.

Once everyone was aboard the airships, they turned and started to make their way back towards Beacon.

* * *

From the trees, the students' unseen stalker watched as the group from Beacon entered their Bullheads. They were still watching when the Bullheads lifted off the ground and took off in the direction towards Beacon, leaving Forever Fall and the watcher behind.

They'd watched the elf and other students collect their sap, speak to that strange deformed woman, and saw him and the werewolf battle against the Beowolves. That last one had been a _very_ interesting thing to witness, more than interesting to be honest. Seeing him fight and then what could only be the elf's Semblance justifying their initial intrest towards him.

Without so much as a second thought, the watcher in the woods resolved to head south after the Bullheads. The Grimm activity in Forever Fall had proven itself a bit too much for them, and their purpose here was done anyway.

It would be quite the trip, for they had a good deal of distance to cover, but they would go on after the students either way.

Faen Tatharion. Why was that name familiar for some reason?

* * *

 **There we go, another chapter done.**

 **Again, let me know what you think of the chapter, particularly the fight scenes. I only ever seem to make good progress with those after a mug of coffee or two, and I'm still uneasy about their quality. The end of the chapter was a bit rushed, but I hope it's alright.**

 **Now, for the references.**

 **Baba Yaga: If anyone's familiar with Slavic folktales, the name 'Baba Yaga' may ring a few bells. An old, ugly witch riding around in a mortar and who lives in a house with chicken legs. This won't be the last time FFOG sees of her.**

 **Professor Taupe's weapons: The kopis is a sword from Ancient Greece that was mostly used in mounted warfare. Made her have it because Pyrrha already uses a xiphos, one of the only other swords from Ancient Greece. The mirror-like face of her gunshield is a reference to the mirror-like shield that Perseus used to look at Medusa, a gorgon, without looking at her directly.**

 **Avaloni Spears: The whole 'Avaloni Spear' thing came to me when I saw the Guardian Spears wielded by the Adeptus Custodes in Warhammer 40K. Guardian Spears are more like halberds, but I chose Avaloni Spears to be like actual spears.**

 **I'll see you all when I next see you.**


	10. After Forever Fall

**Author's Note:**

 **Sorry this took a good while to do. It took me awhile to get done, because I was dissatisfied with the original version of this chapter, so I chose to rewrite the entire thing. Also, my dominant hand's wrist suffered from repetitive strain injury for week while I was working on an art project, so that slowed the process down a bit.**

 **Anyway, here's a new chapter of 'Demi-Human Students of Beacon'.**

* * *

 **After Forever Fall**

Grey walked into the student locker room, one hand massaging her left collarbone and base of her neck. The werewolf had just come from a sparring match against Amarantha Tanith, leader of Team AMRT, and boy had that been one heck of a spar. Damn naga was faster than a pit viper, and slipperier than a tub of grease. She slipped, ducked, and slithered away from almost every attack Grey threw at her.

Her damn weapon of hers sure did Grey no favours.

Amarantha's trishula provided her an advantage in reach, keeping Grey and her claws at a distance, and her dang snake tail acted as a weapon as well. She slapped Grey across the face with it!

That had felt both wrong and insulting. It was like being smacked in the face with someone's ass.

Anyways, that fight was done, and Grey was feeling hungry for some food right about now. If given a chance, she could eat a horse right about now. Who was she kidding, she was always hungry for food, and always felt like she could eat a horse. Fighting just made that hunger grow with each passing second that she fought. However, the hunger had been growing recently, and she'd acted a hell of lot more ravenous when both eating and fighting.

That was not a good sign.

Not a good sign at all, for it heralded an oncoming turn into 'The Wolf'.

It had almost been more than a month since her last transformation. Not exactly a new record for her, Grey had been able to last longer without one, but this was quite a while. This also meant that the transformation would be a lot more... painful, while her time as 'The Wolf' would be much more savage and intense. Not that the whole experience was a walk in a park to begin with.

Grey had already notified both Faen and Professor Taupe of this, and the three had made plans in preparation of it. Beacon had its fair number of Werewolf students before, so Taupe drew up the plans that had been used to contain them. Faen and Grey already had their own ideas on how to handle Grey's turn, yet they were grateful for the professor's input.

One of the plans they had devised was to confine her to a secure room so she could wait out her transformation. The Wolf _hated_ confined spaces, preferring the open air, and would try to escape. So places with things such as glass windows were not recommended.

Another, and more dangerous, idea was that Faen stay close to The Wolf and calm it down. He had done it before and succeeded, it was how they had dealt with Grey's last transformation. But, again, this was a dangerous idea. Grey had almost bitten off Faen's hand on one occasion. Grey was adamant that they try not to risk a repeat of that incident, but Faen was equally adamant on doing so if it was the best course of action.

They could bring in the other members of FFOG, but for the sake of their safety, it was agreed that they stay away from Grey while she was The Wolf. Friesian and Akagi were friends of Grey, but they had not known each other long enough to bd safe from a turned Grey.

A radical idea brought forward was that, upon transforming, Grey would be shot with a taser with a high enough voltage to incapacitate The Wolf for a time. While incapacitated, they could move her into a confined and secure place like the first idea. It was indeed a radical plan, and had been discarded on the grounds of what might happen to Grey if shot full of electricty. Most likely, it would just piss The Wolf off more than anyting. And besides, the three were unsure how the rest of the Academy would react to them tasing a student, Werewolf or not.

The idea of tying her up was brought up. Problem with that was picking the right time to tie Grey up, and the right material needed to hold an angered beast. The Wolf was a savage beast, as well as a strong one. It would take some really strong stuff to hold The Wolf down.

Those were but a few of the ideas the three had come up with in preparation of her next turn.

To be honest, Grey was always unsure of the plans meant to deal with her, and them probability of them working. The Wolf was a wild beast, and only in the presence of person close to the turned werewolf could they be 'controlled' in some way. Even then it was still unpredictable. The Wolf was a wolf after all, not some tamed hound that would roll on its back and let someone rub its belly. It would leap on someone and tear their face off with its teeth.

This would be a problem that Grey would have to deal with for the rest of her life.

She would have to deal with becoming a literal monster every so often. She would prowl, howl, and hunt like beast. She would endanger all those she cherished by simply being near them.

Grey paused as she was changing. Damn did she feel like punching something right now. Hells, Grey had half a mind to punch herself. A part of her greatly resented the fact she was born the way she was. At the same time, she resented others for not being burdened with something similar to the curse that was The Wolf.

Not even her team were excempt from this resentment.

Sure Friesian's head was separate from his body, but that did not affect his life too much, aside from the fact that it disturbed people. Akagi had no problems that they were aware of. Sure kitsunes were perceived as dangerous, but that was because Da Ji, an exceedingly cruel kitsune, endangered the safety and security of Shangri-La and its connected Enclaves with her control over them. Faen, meanwhile, was possibly the most normal in the team, and also had no curses like Grey did. All Faen had was an aloof personality towards most people and pointy ears.

But her team was her team, and they were friends as well. It would be wrong of Grey to take out her personal frustrations of being a werewolf on them.

Regardless, alongside her resentment for being a Werewolf, she sometimes wished that she was born as something else. Anything else, so long as she was not stuck with the beast that raged in her. Heck, being a know-it-all Sphinxes would be hell of a lot better than being a Werewolf.

Why Werewolves were like this was unknown, despite how generation after generation tried so earnesty to find a reason as to why they were like this. Various myths and religions tried to explain away The Wolf, though, each one proved more unfulfilling than the last. Not at all helped by how some of those explanations were used to justify ideologies and movements that were anti-werewolf in nature.

With the advancement of science, it was hoped by a great many Werewolves that an explanation for The Wolf within them could be found. Yet, even science had failed them. For example, examination of Werewolf DNA had proven inconclusive when it came to finding out why Werewolves transformed into the Wolf.

Some tests were still ongoing. Yet no one was holding their breath or anything.

It was honestly frustrating to think of at times. People turning into wolf-like monsters should be as impossible as people turning into birds.

Grey quickly shook her head, further dishevelling her already messy hair. Now was not the time to be thinking of such things. She would keep the problem of The Wolf in mind, but she had other matters to tend to. Such as the very important matter of getting some lunch. Something her stomach reminded her of with a loud grumble.

"Mein Gott. I'll feed you, stop moaning." Grey grunted to her hungry stomach, falling back her family's native tongue for a moment. She was not really fluent in it, only able to speak a few basic words and phrases, but she would speak it sometimes.

It was then that, as Grey was done stripping off her combat outfit, a door opened, and soft footsteps heading towards Grey echoed down the locker room. Grey's heightened sense of smell picking up the approaching person's scent. Which smelt of wax candles and Colombe hair shampoo. Where had she smelt this person before?

First of all, their footsteps did not belong to her team, nor did they belong to either RWBY or JNPR. They did not belong to Faen, his footsteps had a mix of a somewhat cold and proud rhythm to them. Friesian had a bit of a cocky way of walking, though there was also a cautious tone to it as well.. Akagi, while her footsteps were soft, always tried to keep her footsteps as silent as possible in an attempt to sneak up on them for some reason or another, so this wasn't her.

Their scent also did not belong to anyone in either of the before mentioned teams. The only candles FFOG had lit recently was a single scented candle, and this candle smell was not like the one they had used. And that Colombe hair shampoo? They had some shampoo of the same brand, but it had a different smell to their bottle.

As she was in the midst of changing into her uniform, the person walking towards Grey finslly reached her. To her surprise, it was Monica Dusk, the vampire nun of Team AMRT.

Said vampire was startled upon realising that she'd walked into Grey while she was in the midst of changing. Though what did Monica expect? The werewolf had just come out of a sparring match and needed to change clothes, so this awkward situation she had found herself in was the vampire's own fault.

"Um, hello... Grey. I would like to have a word with you, if that's alright." Monica asked Grey, a very flustered expression written on her face. The vampire was always uneasy around her for some reason. Wouldn't be the first time, though, people were always uneasy around Werewolves no matter how hard they tried to hide it.

Though, her state of dress and unrestricted view of most of Grey's body was probably another reason why Monica found it hard to look at Grey. Monica was a bit of prude, finding even slightly lewd jokes, even saying the word 'weiner', to be a bit too much for her. Grey and AMRT's oni member made quite a couple lewd jokes whenever they hung out, and Monica would instantly blush up a storm and lose focus on what she was doing if she overheard them. Most likely because of her upbringing with nuns.

Still, what kind of nuns allowed one of their sisters to pursue a career as a Grimm-fighting Huntress, while not preparing her to stand a few moderately vulgar jokes and remarks? Hells, had anyone ever asked what her convent was like exactly? The werewolf most certainly had not.

Grey would leave that matter be, for now, and move to other things that required her attention.

"Fire away. I'm all ears," Grey uttered in response as she finished buttoning up her shirt and reached for her uniform's skirt. Much to Monica's visible relief.

"Is... Faen alright? I tried talking to him but he was... unreceptive," Monica asked the werewolf. The vampire still doing her best to avert her eyes from Grey's partially dressed form. It was kind of annoying what she was doing, but Grey would put up with it. She just needed to put on a few more things and the werewolf would be done.

Oh, and on the topic of Faen, there was a reason behind his recent behaviour.

It had been two days since the somewhat hectic events that happened at Forever Fall, and since then, Faen's temperament had become rather... sour. Partially because of his 'failure'to control his Semblance during the fight against the one-armed Beowulf, and his weakened state afterwards, yet there was third reason why Faen was currently behaving the way he was. For not long after their trip to Forever Fall, they discovered a _little_ secret that had shaken the bond between Teams FFOG, JNPR, and RWBY.

Not that she could tell Monica, or anyone else for that mattter. The werewolf had a been made to promise not to tell of the secret that FFOG, RWBY, and JNPR shared.

"Yeah. He's just... processing some stuff right now. Best give him some time," Grey advised the vampire. It felt kind of wrong to keep the truth from Monica, she was a nice girl, and even Faen seemed to like her to some extent if he was willing to spend time with her the way he did. Still, despite her feelings on it, Grey just had to do this.

"Oh, that is alright then. Would you please to tell me when I can talk to him? There were a few things I wanted to ask him," Monica carried on to say. She was certainly a bit concerned about what exactly Faen was 'processing', yet seemed to believe and trust in what Grey had told her.

"You got it. Don't expect it to be soon, though. What Faen is going through is some pretty heavy stuff, so it will take time for him finish processing it." The werewolf responded to Monica as she finished putting on her uniform blazer.

Monica thanked Grey, and left her to finish changing back into her uniform.

Grey watched the vampire leave the locker room. She did not understand why Monica chose to ask Faen of all people about Vampires. Her friend read a lot, sure, but he did not have any kind of special insight or knowledge on them. She had brought it up with Faen, and he shared Grey's concerns, but said he would carrying on doing this so he could learn the reason behind Monica's questions. That had been weeks ago, and Faen still did not have the answer.

He had a couple ideas, certainly, but no definite answers.

One of his ideas was that Monica wanted to better understand herself and other vampires, for when she met others of her kind. The young vampire had, apparently, limited interaction with the world outside of her convent, so this was plausible.

Another, and the one Faen and Grey leaned towards the most, was Monica trying to find out where she came from. She had revealled to Faen that she was left at her convent's front doorstep, with only a piece of paper bearing her name written on it. There were no known vampires, or any other persons, with the last name 'Dusk', making Monica's search harder. Huh, a lost daughter abandoned as a baby, trying to find her family.

The whole thing was almost storybook in nature.

But there was a little wrinkle in that idea, maybe more than a 'little' actually. That wrinkle being why Monica was looking for answers in Beacon of all places. There were people from all manner of places and cultures attending Beacon, sure, but what clues brought the vampire here?

"Oh, bugger." Grey exclaimed upon hearing her stomach rumble again. Now she really needed to get going and eat something.

Deciding that guessing at whatever Monica was up to was not worth the effort right now. Filling her stomach being a far more important issue to attend to. Grey stowed her combat outfit inside her locker, shut the metal container, and quickly left the room.

After a short trip to, Grey arrived at the cafeteria. Gather some food for lunch, Grey quickly found her team sitting at one of the large hall's tables, eating away at their lunch.

"Hey guys! Thanks for waiting for me." Grey sarcastically said to her teammates as she set down her tray, and sat with the three other demi-humans. Her team's reactions to her words were mixed.

Faen, her team leader and best friend, did not even bother to let out a grunt and just kept eating. Typical of the elf whenever he was in a moody state like this.

Akagi was comparitively more responsive than Faen, actually waving at Grey. She had been browsing through something on her Scroll, an online news article by the looks of it, when Grey arrived, and went back to reading it. Like so much of the kitsune's things, all the text on the Scroll was in kanji, so there was no way of knowing what exactly she was reading about.

Friesian, Grey's partner, did more than Akagi and actually said something in response to Grey. His head was on the lunch table, so Friesian's body turned it to face her while he spoke.

"If you were so hungry, why didn't you come sooner?" The dullahan's head countered before taking a bite from a sandwich being presented to it by his body. Despite spending about a month of knowing and living with the guy, Grey was still freaked out by how the dullahan ate food. It was just so damn weird, and Friesian barely appeared to notice people's reactions towards him.

"I changed as quickly as I could. Besides, Monica came by to talk to me while I was changing, so I blame her." Grey grunted as she prepared to dig into her lunch.

None of the others asked why Monica had approached Grey. They were probably there when Monica tried to talk to Faen, and was quietly rebuffed by the elf. Even if they were not, the whole lot of them knew well enough what seemed to preoccupy the vampire's mind half the time. They probably guessed she had either asked what was up with Faen, or went ahead and asked Grey about vampires.

Grey mentally scoffed at the idea of Monica asking _her_ for information.

She could keep asking Faen, Grey did not have the energy for those drawn-out conversations the vampire and elf would have at times. When Grey thought about it, this whole thing sounded like a golden opportunity to tease Faen. Although, she had done the something alike to what she was thinking of with Faen and Akagi's reading sessions, Grey would seek to follow through with this idea regardless.

Naturally, the werewolf would seek to tease Faen when he was in a more... agreeable temper. For as much as she enjoyed messing with her best friend, Grey knew well enough when or when not to poke fun at the elf.

As Grey tucked into the tray of food before her, the familiar scents of Team JNPR entered the cafeteria. Normally, she'd jump at the chance to welcome them and invite the four humans who had arrived to sit with FFOG. Right now, though, the werewolf halted herself from doing so. If JNPR wished to sit with them, which appeared to be their intent if their approaching footsteps said anything, they could sit.

For her part, Grey was okay with JNPR sitting with them. It would be her teammates that might not agree with the idea.

After a short few moments, JNPR reached FFOG's seated position, all of the latter team turning to face them. JNPR stood next to them, lunch trays in hand, and a nervous look set on their team leader's face as he met FFOG's gaze.

"Er, hey... guys." Jaune greeted them, a faint apprehensiveness in his voice.

"Hello Jaune," Grey immediately replied to him warmly. Her response seemed to set him at ease somewhat, same went for the others of Team JNPR.

"How are you doing, scraggly?" Friesian spoke up in greeting. 'Scraggly' was the dullahan's nickname for Jaune, one he had come up with after having apparently overheard Weiss call him that on their first day in Beacon. He did not mean it in a meanspirited way, in fact, Friesian believed it to be humorous.

The other two members of FFOG reacted to the presence of Jaune and JNPR were less than welcoming when compared to their teammates.

Without so much as a word, Faen set down his cutlery, stood up from his seat, and walked away from the others and their table. Taking with him his tray of half-eaten food. The elf deposited the tray with others who were done eating, and promptly left the cafeteria. A second after he was gone, Akagi followed after him, also without saying a word to anyone.

Once they were gone, Grey shook her head and audibly sighed.

After Forever Fall, JNPR invited both FFOG and RWBY to their dorm so that Jaune could give an explanation as to his recent behaviour. Both teams readily accepted the invitation from JNPR, and were willingly to hear him out. He was a friend to most of them, after all. The human's explanation was... shocking, to say the very least.

In Jaune's confession, the human revealed that he had not gone to a Combat School before coming to Beacon. He had also not undergone some intensive training that prepared him for the academy. The young human even lacked the necessary understanding of what Aura was until Pyrrha explained what it was _during_ their Initiation in the Emerald Forest. The more shocking news of all, was that Jaune had gotten into Beacon Academy with falsified transcripts and fake recommendations.

After that, Jaune then went ahead and told them that Cardin had learnt of Jaune's fraudulence, and took advantage of him for it. Blackmailing the blonde human boy into being his team's errand boy, doing all that they ordered of him, unless he wanted his secretly faked transcripts to stay that way. Secret.

This information stunned them all, and the members of FFOG, RWBY and JNPR reacted to it in their own ways.

The levels of shock Grey felt upon hearing Jaune's confession were higher than the clouds in the sky. When she first met Jaune, she thought of him as a cute, clumsy little noodle who felt more like a fish out of water than the rest of the first-years. Over the course of the next weeks, the werewolf steadily began to lose faith in Jaune's abilities. She still thought he was cute, but damn, Jaune lost _so_ many times in Combat Class that he must have set a new record for sparring match losses. If not, Grey believed Jaune must be close.

Honestly though, Grey wondered how she could not have smelt that there was something off with Jaune sooner. How was he even able to get those falsified transcripts in the first place? Well, the secret was out now, and Jaune was paying the price for it in more ways than being the subject of anger from some members of FFOG and RWBY. JNPR took the information better than the rest, and declared themselves ready to support their team leader and friend no matter what.

Grey did feel angry at Jaune when he told them all the truth. But, she was able to let it go after the blonde boy told them _why_ he had gone through all the trouble to get into Beacon Academy. He just wanted to live up to the legacies of his forefathers, many of whom were apparently great warriors. She could see no fault in such a goal.

While Grey had been able to set aside her anger and continue to call Jaune 'friend' fairly easily. Her best friend currently refused to do the first, and, since he did not see Jaune as a friend to begin with, was unable to do the second. At least he expressed his enmity towards Jaune through silence and making frowny faces at the human. The werewolf half expected Faen to strike Jaune, or even call for a duel between the two, yet, surprisingly, he had not.

Being in Beacon and becoming a team leader had forced her best friend to show restraint in such matters.

Akagi's thoughts on the whole matter, Grey did not know. The kitsune certainly bore some ill will against Jaune, yet not to the extent that Faen felt. She had most likely left the cafeteria, not _completely_ out of displeasure of seeing Jaune, but so she could keep an eye on Faen. Grey would normally do it, she had done so on a few separate occasions before, however, the werewolf allowed Akagi to do it. Her only other female teammate seemed to possess an ability to make Faen loosen up in ways that rivalled Grey herself.

Hopefully that five-tailed fox-girl could help calm Faen down.

"I... should have known they'd react that way." Jaune sighed whilst he and the rest of JNPR sat down at FFOG's table. A hint of dejection in his voice.

"They are still mad?" Pyrrha solemnly asked the two remaing members of FFOG. The two finding that they could do nothing but nod at the champion's question.

"Faen's pissed. Don't know about Akagi. In time Faen will just resent you, and after that, _maybe_ he'll think of reconciling with you. Just be patient with him," Grey sighed as she stabbed a fork into the sausage she'd picked for lunch. If her stomach could speak, it would most likely be shouting at her right now. Demanding that she take a bite of that sausage this instant, and go on to complain about being hungry.

Seeing no point in doing nothing, Grey bit off a large chunk of the sausage.

"Did something like this happen before?" Ren, the somewhat handsome Mistrali boy of JNPR, inquired of Grey. The others reacted accordingly to his question, and looked to Grey for an answer.

"Nah. Not that I'm aware of, anyway. But I've known Faen long enough to make a good guess. Understand that he's mad at you for..." Grey paused, carefully trying to think of some other way she could finish that sentence. Understanding why she had stopped, the others looked to the surrounding students to ensure none were listening in on their conversation. Seeing that none were, Grey continued to finish her sentence. "...finding another way to finish that project. That, and Faen probably thinks he did it better than you."

Of course, Grey was talking about something other than some school project.

As far as Grey was aware, and what she had meant earlier, was that Faen felt angry at Jaune for cheating his way into Beacon. The elf took pride in how he'd proven himself 'worthy' to be here in Beacon, despite how much he tried to suppress it from showing. Jaune's presence was probably insulting to Faen, and, like she had said, it would take time before the elf was willing to normally interact with Jaune again.

Really, only Faen knew what exactly was going on in his own mind. He could still be mad at Jaune for all kinds of reasons that differed from those she personally believed to be true. But, Grey, his best and only friend for several years, had a good idea of his thought processes and what Faen was thinking right now.

"Has he really had no other friends than you?" Nora now questioned Grey, the orange-haired member of JNPR casting her eyes towards the cafeteria doorway that Faen had exited through as she asked. The 'he' Nora mentioned no doubt being Faen.

There was something different about Nora as she asked her question. The regularly bubbly and upbeat human girl appeared more serious. From what Nora and Ren had told the others, their list of friends until coming to Beacon was very much alike to Grey and Faen's, in the way that they had only each other. That she had asked that question, and the way she asked, was... unsurprising to Grey.

Setting those thoughts aside, the werewolf answered Nora's inquiry. One that the others were aldo awaiting the answer to.

"None that I'm aware of. I was his first and only friend back in Selene and Vigil, and he mine. I can't say for before he moved to our town." Grey shrugged as she answered Nora.

She was being truthful, Grey and Faen were the other's best and only friend. That was as far as the werewolf knew, anyway. The elf never really spoke of the time before his family moved to Selene, and when pressed for information, Faen wouuld say he did not remember much.

Was she really his first and best friend? Or was there someone else the elf called both of those things, but chose to forgo or completely forget to mention? Did it matter? No. No it did not.

Grey did not care if she was the elf's first and best friend. They were friends, hells, they had been more than that once, and that was what truly mattered. In Grey's eyes, the two had been through too much for something such as that to affect their relationship. That was what Grey hoped in her heart, at least.

"How's your training by the way? If you aren't sweating, you aren't really training hard enough." Friesian spoke up and asked, diverting the conversation away from Faen and over to Jaune. Maybe it was for the best. Besides, it was something that Grey wanted to hear about as well.

"It's... alright, I guess. Pyrrha's been showing me where I was going wrong with my stance and stuff. She's a great help," Jaune meekly replied to the dullahan. Everyone sat in this small group turned their eyes to Pyrrha, wanting her assessment of how Jaune's training was going.

"Jaune is doing fine. More than fine, actually. Give him a few months, and I believe he'll be just grand." Pyrrha responded to their questioning looks, a proud smile set on her face as she surmised Jaune's training. A very stellar, and probably exaggerated, endorsement from a fighter such as Pyrrha. The truth behind Pyrrha's claim could only be guessed at. Be it as it may, Grey would very much like to believe she spoke true.

"That's nice to hear. Real nice. You guys are just training, right? The two of you must have a fair bit of time to do more than just train, if you get my meaning. Hehehe." Grey chuckled as she made a suggestive joke about the two's late-night training sessions. Jaune and Pyrrha had been training alone together for the last two nights, and on the rooftop of their dorm block.

Alone and at a place where most people did not know they were at. It was low hanging fruit, yes, but Grey would take what she got. The results she got were satisfactory, and a wolfish smirk grew on Grey's face as she looked on the two.

Immediately the two subjects of the werewolf's teasing became visibly flustered at what she was suggesting. They were not unfamiliar with Grey's teasing, however, the two had never been subject of this kind of teasing from the werewolf. Jaune awkwardly denied such a thing, while Pyrrha looked away and found a certain spot on the cafeteria's wall more interesting than the conversation right now. The blush on Pyrrha's face almost as red as her own hair.

Of the others, Friesian's head flashed a toothy grin at the pair. Ren, meanwhile, let out a light chuckle. Nora, while also amused, agreed with her team leader's denial and was vocal of her support.

"Yeah! They aren't together-together like that. Besides, fearless leader and Pyrrha would _totally_ tell us if they were having a tumble in a haystack!" Nora blurted out loud enough that a good few Beacon students snapped their heads towards the group. Specifically to Jaune and Pyrrha. Embarrassing the two humans even more.

Grey had to use all of her willpower, all her mental _and_ physical strength, to resist the urge to burst out in laughter. As hard as she tried, though, Grey found herself letting out a quick snort and her lips formed a grin that reached from ear-to-ear. The same could be said for Friesian, but his grin made him look malicious. Ren told his friend to calm down while shaking his head, yet as he did so, a thin smile adorned the human's face. Seems he too enjoyed the sight of the now _very_ red faces of both Jaune and Pyrrha.

Nora quickly realised that she might have said that too loudly, and apologised to both Jaune and Pyrrha. In spite of that, after saying her apology, Nora had the two swear to tell her if they ever got 'together-together'.

All that aside, why exactly were Pyrrha and Jaune training so late at night?

The obvious answer was Jaune's need to make up for his lack of training before coming to Beacon Academy. By the gods did he need these training sessions. He had not gone far, considering it had only been two nights since he'd started training, but his ability to fight had improved by the slightest of amounts. That was good, yet, it was not good enough for the secondary reason Jaune had to train himself.

Apparently, the Headmaster and Professor Taupe had caught onto Jaune's falsified transcripts not long after the trip had ended. How they learnt the truth behind Jaune's transcripts were not disclosed to the students, only that they had. That did not matter right now, and the two professors had decided to take action in light of their discovery.

What was the action they had decided upon?

A punishment, but also a chance for Jaune to prove himself.

The two professors had issued an ultimatum to Jaune after calling him to Ozpin's office. Train and better yourself for a month, then prove that you should stay in Beacon in a duel to assess how far his abilities had come. If he passed the assessment, Jaune could stay in the academy and continue his education to be a Huntsman. If Jaune failed, however, he would be expelled from Beacon.

That was Jaune's punishment, and his chance to properly earn a place in Beacon. It was a fair bit more lenient than Grey expected for a deed like the one Jaune had committed, but neither she nor Jaune were complaining. When the Headmaster and gorgon professor informed the three teams of this, neither had seemed at all pleased. Grey may have been seeing this, or maybe she was looking at things at a wrong way, but the two members of Beacon staff appeared displeased over something other than Jaune's fake transcripts.

As she reflected on it, the two professors looked like they just had an argument. With each other? That would be interesting, though, Grey doubted she'd hear more than a rumour as to why.

Cardin's blackmailling of Jaune was also discovered by the professors, and all four members of CRDL were suspended from the academy for a month, at least. During that time, the four human boys were to be subject of disciplinary action, which was to continue after their suspension ended. Whoever would be in charge of 'disciplining' that lot Grey did not care, only that they do a good job and drill some decency into their thick skulls.

Both the Headmaster and Professor Taupe told all members of RWBY, JNPR, and FFOG of this, because, as the closest people to Jaune, they would be placed in charge of training Jaune. They were also not meant to tell anyone else of this arrangement, as well as the precise reasons for CRDL's suspension. Not everyone were onboard with the whole idea, but Ozpin shot them down with an intense stare that rivalled Taupe's.

When the two professors were done, they left the students to handle the matter. A few, such as Ruby, Grey herself, and the other two members of JNPR were willing to help train Jaune. But it was Pyrrha who ultimately took charge of Jaune's training.

While she and the others were willing to help the leader of JNPR, they did not begrudge Pyrrha for being the one to teach Jaune. In fact, it caused them to feel some confidence for Jaune's predicament. If there was anyone among them who could get Jaune prepared and in the right shape for his assessment, it was going to be her. The Invincible Girl.

Besides, when Grey thought about it, she was probably not the best for a teaching role anyway. The werewolf would probably rush him through stuff, tire him out, or tear him apart. And she was not kidding about that last part.

As the group continued to speak to one another, Grey perked up when her nose caught a familiar scent in the air. Smiling, she turned to the entrance of the cafeteria and saw Team RWBY enter. Little Lamb leading her team inside, that cute smile that she normally wore on her face present as always.

"Hi everyone! Sorry we're late," Ruby greeted the small group. She quickly noted the absence of two members of their 'friendship group', and decided to question why that was so. "Uh, where's Faen and Akagi?"

"They... decided to go on a walk outside. Catch some fresh air, if you know what I mean." Grey answered Ruby's question. There was no need for further explanation, all of RWBY understood what the werewolf meant, and sat down for lunch with the group.

Faen and Akagi were not the only people displeased with the truth revealed to them. Weiss, who had expressed annoyance with Jaune and had a rocky relationship with him, had almost exploded once Ozpin and Taupe left them to discuss the issue. The heiress was fuming when they parted ways that day, and she bore an exasperated look on her face when she looked at Jaune now. Of the other members of RWBY, at least she was the one who reacted the worst to the news.

Ruby, after getting over the shock of it all, proved supportive and almost eager to help Jaune. Grey did not know what Yang thought, she seemed in the middle about the whole thing, and followed along with her sister. Right now, it appeared she had come to terms with the truth about Jaune, which might be a good thing. Blake was more in control of her emotions, and did not seem to express much other than shock at the news.

Typical of that odd, bow-wearing girl.

"So, uh, anything else you guys wanna talk about?" Jaune asked of Grey and the rest of those present. No doubt because he wanted to talk and think of something, anything, other than his impending assessment. A good idea, lunch was not a time to be ruined by talk of ill matters. It should be spent eating good food and in good company, in Grey's opinion at least.

"Any of you guys into motorcycles?" Friesian spoke up and asked the others in the group. The dullahan really liked to talk about that motorcycle of his. It was honestly getting a bit tiring to listen to.

"Ah, I see you are a man of culture." Yang beamed before the two began a long conversation focused solely on their motorbikes. Everyone rolled their eyes at the two, and started their own little conversations. They had a good while until lunch was over, might as well find a way to pass the time.

Sighing again, Grey turned her attention back her lunch. At least she was able to squeeze some entertainment from this conversation. For the detention she had later today would be as far from entertaining as anything could be.

* * *

With Faen, the elf had walked quite some distance from the cafeteria, and had decided to stand by the cliff Beacon's airship dock was situated. He stood there, arms crossed, and face fixed into a frown as he looked to the distant City of Vale. Whilst there, Faen took this time to reflect and contemplate on recent events, and what he was to do in light of them.

Grey would call this brooding, but that did not matter.

First of all, the incident at Forever Fall had caused him a good deal of internal turmoil. Namely his involuntary activation of his Semblance, and the vulnerable state it had left him in.

His Semblance could be activated at will, however, emotions could also cause Semblances to inadvertangly activate. Be they feelings such as anger, confusion, fear, and even happiness may result in an uncontrolled use of an Aura-user's Semblance. It was why all people with their Auras unlocked were required by law to register themselves, as well as learn to practise self-control over their abilities. Even those who did not abide by the law had to learn to control their Semblances as well.

The problem with Faen was his emotions would go rather out of control if he was pushed to a certain limit in battle. When he reached that limit... well, Forever Fall was an example of what could happen. He became weak. And of how he absolutely _loathed_ being vulnerable.

Faen had spent hours and hours trying to hone his control over his emotions, and they had helped him a lot. In spite of his efforts, his countless hours of practise were not entirely effective. While he could keep his cool in most fights, Faen still fell into accidentally activating his Semblance, and every time it happened, Faen questioned his abilities. It made him question far more than that actually.

Perhaps he should call home. He had promised to call if something like this happened after his spar with Pyrrha, and it had. His parents may know something to help Faen with this grave problem.

And the whole Jaune affair?

Oh, that little fetcher was lucky Grey considered him a friend, and that his people's traditions forbade him from harming those considered friends without proper cause. Be it the individual elf's, or a friend of theirs. Some may say Jaune's status as a fraud would be 'proper cause', it certainly was to him, but Faen knew that striking Jaune then and there would incur negative responses from his friend and acquaintances. Faen could challenge Jaune to a duel, but this was not a matter of personal honour, and it may bring in unwanted attention.

In the end, the elf had to put up with just glaring at or straight-up ignoring Jaune whenever they encountered each other. At least he could take his frustrations out on Jaune during Combat Class, but such fights were controlled and felt less... gratifying than if Faen had challenged Jaune personally. Yet, his personal code and Elven traditions could not stop Faen from _hating_ the human.

Faen had spent years training in Vigil. Honing his mind and body to be a weapon against the Creatures of Grimm. While he stayed in the Martial School, the elf did more than just train and work hard for what he had now.

He had suffered bullying in Vigil at the hands of his peers. Experienced several physical injuries during his training. Underwent a dangerous level of mental stress a few times. Despite all that, Faen had endured, persisted, and fought. In the end, the elf proven himself worthy of entry into Beacon Academy.

And here Jaune was. A truly unworthy individual attending one of Remnant's prestigous Huntsman Academies, who was being given a second chance despite how he did not deserve to be here in the first place. Why was he being granted a second chance anyway? What marked Jaune out to be so special that he was still permitted to freely walk on Beacon grounds?

Why did Fate plant this dilemna before him?

"Gods above and below, give me strength." Faen quietly muttered to himself. In his mind, the elf began to invoke all the names of the gods and goddeses of his people for said strength. Invoking the gods of the underworld in public, or anywhere in general unless during certain ritual ceremonies, was a serious taboo among the elves. But there was no one to hear him, so Faen carried on with his minor blasphemy.

As Faen was done calling on the underworld goddess of pleasure and moved onto the heavenly god of wisdom, Faen sensed someone approaching him from behind. He heard their footsteps first, which he swiftly recognised after listening to it for a couple seconds. After their footsteps came their scent, which was laced with a familiar perfume.

He did not care to turn around and see just what who it was, for he already knew who it was, and allowed them to approach. The elf was surprised _she_ was not making an attempt to hide her approach as they normally would.

"Akagi," Faen grunted as soon as the person walked up beside him. He was right, it was Akagi.

"Faen," the kitsune returned his greeting in kind with a soft voice. She said nothing else for a good while, just letting the light breeze whip around them and the sun's rays fall on them from above. Her eyes darting here and there as she soaked in the scenic view before them.

Her presence was not welcome right now, no one's was. However, he was willing to tolerate it. Especially if she said nothing to annoy him in any way. Or whistled. Or tapped her feet. Or anything if he was to be honest.

So was it that the two demi-humans stood there. Saying and doing nothing, apart from staring out at the view in front of them.

Well... not for long.

After a short while, Faen got bored of letting his mind 'brood' on things, and found counting the number of individual birds in a passing flock to be tiresome really quickly. So, the elf found himself wanting for a conversation. And the only person he could, or was willing, to speak to right now was his kitsune partner.

Akagi seemed to have been waiting for the moment Faen wanted to talk to her. Like a fox waiting for its prey to come close enough for it to strike. By the time he started to turn his head to face her, Akagi was already talking.

"We've got only one more class today, right? Why don't you and I go to Vale afterwards? To get your mind away from everything. How does that sound?" Akagi suggested to him, tilting her head as she did so.

The elf youth took a long moment to consider this idea proposed by his partner, for it was an intriguing one. Faen would normally prefer to spend his time after lessons finishing up any outstanding classwork, or training by himself. In spite of that, he was not feeling normal right now, and the elf supposed that a quick outing to the nearby city could be a good idea. Besides, much like with Faen's feelings towards his teammates, the City of Vale had started to grow on him somehow, and the thought of going there appeared less repellant with each outing.

Alone, though? With only Akagi for company?

Faen was not complaining about it. He seemed to spend a good amount of time alone with her anyway, and she wasn't bad company to be around either. But going to Vale without the other two? That he was slightly unsure of.

"What about Grey and Friesian? Can't we bring them along?" The elf questioned Akagi, sending her an inquisitive look. In all the instances where he had gone to Vale, Faen went with _all_ members of FFOG. Why did Akagi want the both of them to go on their own?

"I don't think so. Grey has detention with Professor Goodwitch, and Friesian has to spend time in the library. Remember?" Akagi responded, causing the elf to mentally slap himself for his forgetfullness. How could he have forgotten that? Especially the stuff about Grey having detention.

Grey was stuck with detention because she kind of lost control during a Combat Class sparring session. Like, _really_ lost it. Earning her detention when she threw her opponent at the observing crowd of students. No one was hurt, thankfully, but it was still a shocking thing to witness, and Grey was quickly reprimanded by the professor for her excessive action.

All because her opponent had the misfortune of off-handedly calling Grey a 'dog' during their spar.

Friesian wanted to spend time in the library so he could catch up on some classwork, specifically stuff for Doctor Oobleck. The dullahan really struggled with history, and his problem was not helped by the rapid-fire pace Oobleck liked to talk and do things in general. Their dorm had too many distractions in it, so the library was a decent place to get work done. Most of the time anyway.

Well, if the others were that preoccupied, then Faen and Akagi would be going to Vale on their own. It would be an interesting first experience, and one that Faen found himself feeling somewhat eager to feel. It could also, as Akagi had proposed, take his mind off of things. So the endeavour was worth a shot.

"Fine." Faen said as he gave into Akagi's suggestion. They had a class to attend first, and it was not one Faen looked forward to. "Do we... Do we have Professor Port next?"

"Yes. Yes we do." The kitsune almost immediately responded, her lips forming a thin grimace.

Faen let out a quick and silent curse in Elven. There were lessons to be learnt in Port's Grimm Studies lessons, but his tendency to drone on about stories of himself grated at Faen's mind. Yes, he would need this trip to Vale after whatever Port had to ramble on about this lesson.

Turning away from the cliff's edge, Faen began to walk back to the Academy's main campus. Akagi right beside the elf. The next two or so hours were going to be a long in their opinion, and the two could not wait for their venture to the city.

* * *

Later on that day, Faen and Akagi were no longer on Beacon grounds, instead they were roaming the streets of Vale as the kitsune had suggested.

When they had told Grey of their plans, she had let out a sound that was halfways between a groan and a howl. But she made no remarks in protest to the news. Then again, Faen also caught a glimpse of playfullness and mischief in Grey's eyes, the werewolf having most likely come up with some new teasing comment, yet refrained from saying it. Gods only know what damned thing his best friend had thought of, and honestly, Faen did not want to know.

Friesian vocally complained about how Faen and Akagi had chosen today of all days to go to Vale, because he was going to be stuck in the library. He _could_ come with them, but the dullahan really needed to finish up that classwork before the start of the next week, and Friesian was behind on a _lot_ of stuff. Good luck to him.

Faen and Akagi had ventured through a bit more of Vale than they had before. Going to a few places that they had not gone to when they came with Teams RWBY and JNPR back in their trip a few weeks ago, though, they limited the number of locations they went to for the sake of time. Right now they were at Vale's Demi-Human 'District'.

The City of Vale was divided into several districts, the unofficial section known as the Demi-Human District was a small slice of Vale's Commercial District populated largely by Demi-Humans and their businesses. A miniature Enclave. It was established when the first migrants from the Enclaves arrived at Vale. Having lived rather insular lifestyles until then, a majority of Demi-Humans chose to live and work in areas close to others of their kind as some kind of cope with the unfamiliarity that was the Kingdoms. Decades passed, and the Demi-Human District was unofficially created where those first migrants lived and worked together.

The whole thing was not perfect. There was a lingering friction between elements in both the demi-humans and the human populace that remained since the first migrants arrived. Not at all helped by how a few demi-human businesses refused to serve faunus. Painting a large target on their backs from extremist elements that propped up in the last few years. Oh, best not forget disagreements between peoples from different Enclaves.

Aside from all that, this unofficial district had come to flourish and thrive. Regardless of all the troubles that beset it over the years.

A few steps into this small area of Vale and already Faen could feel and see a difference in the place when compared to the rest of the city. Architecturally, the buildings were the same as everywhere else in the Kingdom's capitol, but the people and abundant number of smells were most definitely unlike the wider area of Vale.

All kinds of Demi-Humans made their way through the streets of the district, to the point that a normal human stuck out like a sore thumb. Examples included; cyclopes, goblins, angels, dryads, tengu, jorogumo, dwarves, centaurs, jotnar, etc.

Seeing such a wide assortment of Demi-Humans was actually reassuring to Faen. Sure he did not like being around large crowds of people, interacting with them less so, but being among some many demi-humans was soothing in its own odd way. One of the reasons for this might possibly be because of it reminded him of home through the sheer variety of demi-humans present. Another reason was possibly because Faen stood out less, he was, after all, one of the less eye-catching types of demi-human appearance wise.

As they passed by store, Faen saw a poster plastered onto the front window promoting the coming Vytal Festival. Nothing new there. For the last week, promotional material for the next Vytal Festival was being set up all across Vale and even Beacon. Faen shook his head lightly, not wanting his mind to get bogged down by thoughts of the festival _and_ Beacon.

He was here to distract himself from such thoughts, and to spend some time with Akagi. Nothing else.

Moving on, the two moved around the Demi-Human District aimlessly and with no clear plan on where they wanted to go. As they did so, Akagi would linger at the front of a store and do some window-shopping, where she fixated her gaze on some item she saw in the window display and ask Faen what he thought of it. The elf was no fan of window-shopping, yet, he was willing to humour his teammate, and answered the kitsune while suppressing the desire to sound dry or sarcastic in his responses. He kept his responses short, to help hurry up what conversations they had in front of a stores' window.

From time to time, they would actually go inside a store and buy something. For as much as this was intended to be a trip to alleviate what stress Faen felt, the two had taken the opportunity to restock on some supplies. So far, the elf and kitsune had brought stationary items such as extra pens and notebooks, to foodstuffs like coffee and boil in the bag rice. Oh hells, how much Faen needed that coffee when they got back to Beacon.

Akagi wanted to go into a couple clothing stores they passed by, but Faen adamantly refused to let her go in or drag him into them.

Faen had his fill of clothes shopping with Grey. Though the werewolf did not really have much of a mind for fashion, nonetheless, she had forced the elf to wait outside a changing room while she checked out a new jacket or cargo shorts more than a few times. Akagi was unlike Grey, and Faen was sure she would do something similar, but would take much longer than his best friend. So, Faen would drag the kitsune away from any clothing store she seemed to express an interest in.

Later on, the two took the time to go to a park in the area and inspect collection of trees imported from the Enclaves and planted there. In the park there were all kinds of trees; apple trees from Avalon, blue pines from Shangri-La, ahuehuete from Chicomoztoc, pomegranate trees from Hades and its surrounding Enclaves, ash and yew trees from the Yggdrasil Collective. All this was done in an attempt to propagate the idea of unity and cooperation between the different kinds of species that made up the Demi-Human race, as well as their Enclaves.

A nice gesture, but it would take more than planting trees in a park to bring the hearts and minds of different peoples. Still, nice.

Their time in Vale did not go without incident. A goblin tried to steal Akagi's Scroll when she was not looking, and almost got away with it if Faen and a nearby fairy caught him in the act. Damned cretin ran like when the wind the moment he realised he was found out. Though the goblin was not able to steal Akagi's Scroll, the kitsune was enraged that someone had tried to steal from her, and angrily tried to give chase. Faen, who was half tempted to give chase himself, had to hold his furious teammate, for the goblin was already gone and there was no point in giving chase.

Heck, Akagi had looked ready to straight up murder that goblin if she ever got her hands on him.

After restraining Akagi for half a minute, she started to calm down, and when she did, the kitsune returned to her normal self. Since that incident, Faen noticed Akagi was paying closer attention to where her belongings were. Faen could not fault her for such behaviour, for he too had taken to keeping his hand not far from his pockets.

Oh, and Faen was almost run over after some driver decided to run a red-light at a busy T-junction. The driver did not even apologise and kept on going, nearly getting into a car crash on the way. Asshole.

All in all, this whole venture had proven itself... beneficial.

"So, how are you feeling now Faen?" The kitsune beside him now asked as they stopped before an restaurant. One that served food from Shangri-La and a number of other places in Anima, if Faen was not mistaken by the way the restaurant appeared and the food it was serving.

"I guess I feel alright." He was being truthful in his answer, and it seemed to please his partner. "Aside from the incident with that goblin, and almost being run over. I'd say that this was... nice."

Akagi's lips formed into a delighted smile upon hearing the rest of his words. While her lips told Faen one thing, her eyes said another. Looking into them now, Faen saw a mix of anxiety and unease. Throughout this entire escapade, Faen had also noticed Akagi frequently checking the time on her scroll, her eyes darted around, and her extra fox ears twitched here and there as if in search of something.

Standing before this restaurant increased this apparently agitated state she was in.

Seeing his teammate behave like this, and the roiling mess of emotions in Akagi's eyes, made Faen suspicious of her. The elf did not want to, but he could not help it. Was she expecting something to happen? Something bad? What if Akagi was expecting someone to appear?

His teammate let out a deep breath and turned her body to face him. The kitsune's crimson eyes looking deeply into Faen's. Akagi's eyes were full of such intent and anxiousness, that he himself started to worry for what Akagi was up to. More importantly, how or if he would be involved in whatever was up with her.

"Faen, there is... another reason why I wanted us to come to Vale. I need you..." Akagi paused before she could say more. Her fox ears perking upwards sharply, her body becoming tense, and the anxiety in her eyes becoming even worse than before. Faen braced himself for what she was about to say next. Preparing his mind and body for what Akagi had to say next. "...to help me deal with my sisters."

The team leader of FFOG reacted to Akagi's words almost instantly. Faen brow rose up in surprise, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened to say words he had not yet formed in his brain. Such was Faen's bewilderment upon hearing Akagi, that he had taken a step back and almost bumped his back into a passing yuki-onna.

"Hold on a minte. What?" Faen questioned Akagi as soon as his brain finally came up with something for him to say. Nothing anywhere near poetry, but it was the best he could come up with right now. The elf had prepared himself for several possiblities, but Akagi's sisters? Again, what?

Before anything else could be said or done, both members of FFOG were interrupted by a voice that called out to one of them specifically.

"Odori!"

Faen and Akagi turned their heads towards the direction where the voice had called out the kitsune's first name. The sight before them causing Faen to raise his eyebrows even further, and Akagi's face to pale.

Standing further down the street were three young woman. If they were just that, Faen would not think much of them. But it was when he saw their fox-ears and tails, and that they shared facial similarities with Akagi, did Faen begin to get an idea of what was going on. They were kitsunes, and since Akagi had just mentioned her sisters, the elf could make a good guess as to who they were.

One of the kitsunes, the youngest by the look of her, ran up to Akagi and embraced her in a tight hug. A hug that Akagi did not appear to even remotely want to reciprocate.

"It's so good to see you!" The younger kitsune squealed as she pulled away from Akagi, the two other women striding up to their fellow kitsune and greeting Akagi in turn. The tallest and oldest giving Akagi a quick and polite 'hello'. While the second youngest kitsune just waved at his teammate.

In the time it took the three newly arrived kitsunes to greet Akagi, Faen had reined in his shock, and put on his usual mask of calm and aloofness. On the inside though, a thousand miniature versions of himself were scrambling about in his mind, trying to find the best way to deal with this. So far, those mini-Faens in the elf's head were failing, for all his mind could come up with static right now.

"So, is this Faen?" The eldest of the three new kitsunes asked Akagi, her crimson eyes scanning every inch/centimetre of him.

"Yes," Akagi responded, her voice struggling to contain her dislike for the three other kitsunes' presence. A fragile and forced smile set on her face as she turned back to Faen, and spoke the words he dreaded, but knew to be true. "Faen, please say hello to my sisters."

* * *

 **And done. Again, sorry that this took a while to do.**

 **Based the idea of the 'Demi-Human District of Vale' off of the Chinatowns, and other ethnic enclaves, scattered across parts of the world.**

 **The part about the trees from different Enclaves came to me after remembering a trip to Kew Gardens.**

 **The apple trees from Avalon is due to the fact that the full name of Avalon translates to 'the isle of fruit [or apple] trees'. Blue pines is a type of coniferous evergreen native to places such as the Himalayas, where Shangri-La is said to be located. Ahuehuete is one name for the national tree of Mexico, while Chicomoztoc is the mythical origin place of the Aztecs, who lived in central Mexico. Pomegranate trees from Hades is a reference to the Ancient Greek legend of how the goddess, Persephone, was bound to the Greek underworld, Hades, after eating pomegranate seeds from the underworld. Ash and yew from Yggdrasil, because the World Tree in Norse Mythology was believed to be a giant ash tree, but scholars now agree it to be a yew tree.**

 **Let me tell ya, all that information took a good bit of Googling.**

 **Anyway, good luck and stay safe in whatever ventures you find yourselves.**

 **I'll see you all when I next see you.**


	11. A Kitsune's Secret?

**Author's Note:**

 **Sorry this took about a month to get done. It would have been finished sooner if not for some personal life stuff, which I will not go into detail.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **A Kitsune's Secret?**

Faen would _love_ to be anywhere else right now. Stuck with detention; or standing outside in the rain; or even fighting a horde of Grimm in the Emerald Forest. Any of them would be a much better place to be right now.

Where was Faen? The elf was sat with Akagi and her three kitsune sisters in the restaurant they had met outside. Enjoying an early dinner together.

The three kitsune sisters, and Akagi herself by some extent, dragged Faen into the restaurant with them. They did not even give Faen a chance to ask what was going on, or if he wanted to come along or not. This kind of thing had happened to him a few times with Grey. But Akagi's sisters were strangers to the elf, so he was far less okay with his current situation.

The five were seated at a table together, Faen and Akagi sitting on one side, while her sisters sat on the side opposite them. Throughout the entire time he spent with them, Faen had learnt all the names of his teammate's sisters, as well as what kind of people they were.

First, there was Hitomi Akagi, the eldest of the sisters by three years. As a mark of her seniority, Hitomi possessed seven tails, and would grow two more until she had fully matured. Like Odori, Hitomi let her hair fall free, and was just as long. She wore a white jacket over a long, rich qipao dress made of authentic, red Shangri-La silk, which accentuated her more developed hourglass figure. Faen found himself trying his best not to stare at Hitomi, but he could not help but shoot the eldest Akagi sister a few quick glances every so often.

Damn teenage hormones!

In her hand she held a paper Anima _sensu_ (folding fan). Whenever she caught Faen sneaking quick glances at her, which was every instance he did, Hitomi would hold the fan before her mouth, and let out a light giggle at his behaviour. Her full thoughts on his actions were not clear, but Faen leaned towards a negative side out of caution.

As the eldest, Hitomi was set to inherit their mother's position as a secretary of Shangri-La's Ten Ministers. In spite of that, the elder kitsune did not appear overly concerned about it, and seemed to be more focused on enjoying life than thinking of the responsibilities that came with her future position. That did not mean she was a complacent fool. For in her eyes, Faen could see a sharp intelligence that could help Hitomi if she became the secretary expected of her.

Then there was Sekai Akagi, Odori's second youngest sister. Of the three sisters, Sekai was the most physically alike to Odori, not surprising considering that they were twins. Odori being the older of the two by only a few minutes. Hells, the two wore almost exactly the same clothes, almost because the parts where Akagi's clothes were black, were white when it come to Sekai.

Like her older twin, Sekai had five fox tails. Unlike her older twin, Sekai had to wear glasses, the length of Sekai's hair fell down to her armpits, and was more serious in the way she acted when compared to her sister.

Sekai also chose a more civilian path in life. Apparently, she was looking into attending a medical college, and wanted to pursue a life in the healthcare profession. A worthy path to follow in life, as far as Faen was concerned, and something that earned Sekai his respect. Remnant could always do with more hands that healed than killed.

After Sekai was Megumi Akagi, the youngest of the four kitsune sisters. Megumi was younger than Odori by a year, and had the same number of fox tails that Odori had. In contrast to her older sisters, Megumi had her hair cut short, barely reaching past her chin. Her clothing also made her stand out, for she wore sneakers, tight skinny jeans, and a white crop-top under a heavy, red hooded jacket.

Of all the kitsune sisters, Megumi was the most direct and straight to the point. If she wanted to say something, Megumi would say it. If there was something she disliked, Megumi would make it known. This quality of hers Faen found to be both endearing and aggravating at the same time.

Megumi was still attending high school, and had stated that she was still trying to figure out what she wanted to be afterwards. How very relatable.

All three of the kitsunes before him were Odori's sisters, there was no doubt about it. So why was it that she treated them less like family, but more like nuisances? Why did Faen sense a level of disdain within his teammate whenever she looked or spoke to her sisters? Was there some kind of family trouble going on? If so, Faen felt both uncomfortable and uncertain if he should be here.

But he was here, and the elf had no idea how to elegantly get out of this situation.

Right now Odori and her sisters were currently speaking at length with each other in their native language, though, they would sometimes speak in English. It had been this way for most of their early dinner. Faen felt slightly insulted that the sisters were acting this way, for it forcibly excluded him from their conversation. But then again, if they did speak in English for most of their conversation, Faen would have just eavesdropped on them as they spoke. Which he guessed was also a rude thing to do if he was to be honest, especially if there were some private family stuff they were discussing.

They sometimes involved him in their conversation every so often. Asking him questions or wanting his opinion on something. Playing along, Faen answered them as best as he could. The things they asked were stuff such as what he thought Odori was like, his thoughts on Beacon and Vale, future aspirations, and even what his status in the relationship department was. That last one really catching the elf off guard.

Faen answered their questions, even that one about his relationship status. As he spoke, the elf made sure not to make any sarcastic remark or come off as impolite. He wanted to leave a good impression on the three kitsunes before him. Who knows when they might meet again, or if they would ever need aid from one another.

When he was done speaking, the four would go back to speaking solely to each other. Leaving Faen to his own devices. Again, this insulted him to a degree, but he had, and would continue to, put up with it for as long as neccessary.

The kitsunes seemed pretty engaged and really focused on their conversation right now, only sending Faen a few sparing glances on occasion. Faen was not confident enough to jump into their interruption, fearing he might interrupt something very important. His hand had gone to take his Scroll out from his coat, but doing so at a dinner table would be impolite as far the elf's code of dinner etiquette was concerned. As such, Faen perished the thought from his mind.

Gods, he was bored. The longer they left him alone, the more impatient the elf became, and the more determined Faen was to have words with Odori when they returned to Beacon.

 _'Whatever. Best to just keep eating.'_ Faen internally sighed to himself as picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating the chicken ramen he had ordered. The restaurant was pricier than he liked, but Hitomi was willing to pay for all the things they ordered.

The elf carried on eating his ramen and minding his own business. After a short amount of time later, the four kitsunes finally decided that to focus on him again.

"Faen. Hello! Are you still with us?" Hitomi's voice called to him. Tearing the elf's mind and eyes away from the fish-tank set up near the restaurant's front entrance. Yes, Faen was so bored, a fish-tank was more interesting than any of conversations happening in the restaurant around him.

"Sorry. My mind was elsewhere," he quickly responded to Hitomi as he turned his attention back to Odori and her sisters. "Was there something you wished to discuss?"

The eldest of the kitsune sisters lightly shook her head before speaking again.

"No, no. There is nothing to apologise for, Faen. We simply wished to know if you wanted something else to eat. Your bowl is almost empty, and you appeared particularly fascinated by the restaurant's fish. Peckish for some seafood?" From her tone, as well as that wirey smile on her face, Hitomi was joking. Might as well answer her.

"I am quite alright with what I have as of now. My thanks again for allowing me to dine with you all, and sample your people's cuisine. Which, I have to say, is quite delicious." Faen responded coolly and politely to Hitomi. He was also thankful to them for demonstrating to him how to correctly use chopsticks, which he was still getting a hang of.

"You are most welcome. We feared you would not find the food of our people to your liking, but I'd say that gamble paid off." Hitomi carried on to say, a serene smile on her face.

Well, it would have been terribly discourteous of Faen to say otherwise while in their presence. This was the food of their culture, and Faen would prefer to not antagonise his teammate, her sisters, and most of the people in the restaurant. Besides, it genuinely was quite delicious in Faen's opinion.

Turning his eyes to look briefly at Odori, Faen saw that her mood very much remained how it had been since the food was delivered to them. One need only look at her face to see that. Right now, Odori's face was bordering between a scowl of barely hidden resentment, and a smouldering anger that Faen had never seen in his teammate before. Faen wondered how much of Odori's conversation with her sisters was either idle conversation, or an arguement he had not been able to understand.

Whatever was the case, there was only one thing Faen was certain of. Odori really did not like her sisters.

"I gotta say, you're a lot less snobbish than I thought ya'd be." Megumi said to Faen, earning irritated looks from her sisters and Faen himself. This was what the elf meant when he thought that Megumi's directness was both endearing and aggravating at the same time.

"Um, thank you. I guess," Faen replied more hesitantly and less confident than he desired. Should he even be saying 'thank you'? Had Megumi meant what she said as compliment or an insult?

The young elf was aware that elves had a reputation of being aloof or arrogant snobs who thought themselves better than everyone else. It had been a bit of a stereotype of his people for a century, more than a century actually. Faen could admit that he and other elves who lived in Selene could be aloof at times, maybe at bit prideful as well. Yet, he would never go so far as to describe himself, or his people, as 'arrogant' or 'snobbish' as Megumi had put it.

"You're also a lot handsomer than I thought you would be." The youngest kitsune sister then added. He was able to maintain a calm appearance, and did not overly react to the kitsune's words. It was Megumi's sisters who did that for him.

"Megumi! Could you not say such things to my teammate?" Odori hissed at her youngest sister, Faen noticing her teeth were clenched out of irritation. The other kitsune sisters chided Megumi, who pulled a face at them before digging back into her yaki soba. His teammate then focused her attention to Faen, an aplogetic look set on her face as she spoke. "I am sorry for Megumi's behaviour, Faen. Her mouth acts before her brain can think."

"It's nothing," Faen brushed off Megumi's words and the apology Odori had given him. While the first remark slightly irritated Faen, the last comment Megumi made had really surprised him. The elf never thought himself as 'handsome' in anyway, though he definitely believed he was not bad to look at. If someone thought he was hansome, the elf thought it best to accept it and move on.

"It must be nice to attend Beacon. To learn at the feet of some of Remnant's best Huntsman. However, I hear that it can become quite demanding," Sekai now said to Faen.

Sekai and Odori were not identical twins, but when the former spoke just then, he had thought it was his teammate who had spoken.

"Things can get trying, but we are growing accustomed to the hardship," Faen said with a slight nod of his head. From difficulties between students, and the ever-growing workload being piled on them as the weeks passed, there were no small amounts of hardships in Beacon. Still, he had persevered through Vigil. The elf would endure Beacon no matter what fate would decide to throw at him.

"Nothing worth having is ever easy to acquire, hm?" The bespectacled kitsune added.

"Indeed. Indeed," Hitomi interposed before anything else was said. Turning his gaze to her, Faen saw the eldest kitsune sister raise her cup to her lips and sip from the sake it contained. The edges of her lips inched upwards by a fraction while she drank, and her eyes twinkled with approval as they gazed back at the elf.

He did not understand the reason behind Hitomi's approval, if that was what he saw. Did she find something admirable in his few words? Or had this been brought about by the way he responded to Megumi's earlier comments?

Just when he thought socially interacting with people was getting easier, Fate decided to dump this on the elf.

Turning his mind away from Hitmoi's enigmatic behaviour, Faen looked for something else to talk about. The sisters' attention appeared to be focused on him for not, and the elf would take full advantage of that. Thus far, he had been answering their questions many times over. Now the elf would pose questions of his own, and they would answer.

"I will admit to being rather surprised to meet you all. Ak-Odori had not notified me of the fact that I would have the pleasure of meeting her sisters. Have you come to Vale for a specific reason?" Faen said, posing his first question to the sisters. There was no way this meeting was purely coincidence, it was most definitely prearranged.

The eldest Akagi sister set her glass down and answered him on behalf of her sisters.

"How rude of us to not have explained ourselves to you. Tch, where have our manners gone today? Our mother decided it best for us to spend a couple days in Vale together, while also checking on Odori. Our dear sister would only send text messages back home, so our mother wished us to personally see Odori, and ask how she has been."

His teammate only communicated with her family through texts? That was new to Faen. When he coupled that piece of information to the fact Odori seemed disdainful of her sisters, Faen had started to wonder more and more as to what his teammate's relationship with her entire family was. What brought such behaviour about was another question that ran through his mind. Although, asking such a thing here and now would most likely be unwise.

So, the elf set that question aside and decided to ask another.

"I see. Speaking of your mother, Odori speaks so little of her. If it is not too much, may I ask what she like?"

Unexpectedly, Odori stood up from her seat and began to leave the table.

"Excuse me for a moment, but I would like to use the restroom." His teammate did not wait for a response from anyone still sat at the table, and just walked away. Faen's eyes followed after Odori as she wove past the other tables, customers, and restaurant staff, and watched as she disappeared into the ladies' restroom.

"I... should not have brought that up. Should I?" Internally, Faen was cursing and kicking himself. Had he not just thought that bringing up family issues was unwise? Why had he thought bringing up Odori's mother, who possibly had a role in these issues, was a good idea?

To his surprise, Odori's sisters did not react negatively towards him for his ill-considered words. In fact, they all wore half-expectant and saddened looks on their faces. Seeing their reactions, Faen felt more regretful for his choice of words.

"He might as well know, right?" Megumi was the first to speak up. Sparking Faen's curiosity with what she had said.

"It could help both him, us, and Odori." Sekai murmured in suggestion to the other two kitsunes. Hearing her speak made Faen's sense of regret become overshadowed by his intrigue at what the three were now planning.

"He is still a stranger, and we have no clear picture as to what kind of person he is." Hitomi uttered back to hr sisters.

"But if Odori was willing to bring him here to meet us, that should speak of the faith she places in him." Odori's twin sister went on to say, a shred of urgency in her voice.

After a brief second, Hitomi nodded at her sisters' words, and snapped her fan shut, before proceeding to look at him with a dead serious look on her face.

"Very well. Faen, please understand that our mother is a... workaholic. It is a habit that she has never gotten rid of." Faen listened intently to what Hitmoi had to say. This information may prove valuable in understanding his teammate, and, though he tried to stop himself from thinking it, could be used against Odori if ever the situation required it. "When we were all children she spent much of her time at work, leaving our care to a sitter. She would leave home early and come home late. What bonding happened in little time she spent with us was... lackluster, if you can imagine. Odori has not yet come to terms with the lack of attention our mother showed us when we were younger."

That was it? Neglect?

Faen had expected... well, truth be told, he had no idea what he should have expected. Still, if they were telling him the truth, it was best to cast aside his scepticism and commit this tale to memory. It was indeed useful, but how he could utilise such information in the future would be a concern for a later date.

He dared not bring up their father. Doing so with Odori had proven itself a very touchy subject, understandable after she explained that her father was killed by bandits a year after Megumi was born. Asking anything about him to Odori's sister was highly unadvisable in Faen's eyes.

Thankfully, there was another subject that he could approach. If he was being honest, it was likely going to be a bad thing to bring up this particular subject. Despite such a possibility, Faen became determined to do so.

The subject being why Odori was so scornful of her sisters.

"That is sad to hear," Faen gently said to the three kitsunes before him. His thoughts were genuine, yet he would use those words as a stepping stone to the question he would now ask. There was no telling how much longer Odori may take in the restroom, and he needed to grasp this opportunity to learn more about her by the horns. "I noticed she seemed less than amicable towards you all. You have explained your mother, what of you?"

In response to his push for more information, Megumi, Sekai, and Hitomi looked to one another. As they did, Faen cast a glance towards the door of the ladies' restroom. He had not seen Odori leave it, nor had he seen or heard any indication that she would leave it soon. Yet, it would not be the first time he would be fooled by making a assumptions such as that.

Her Semblance made her almost completely invisible to almost all senses. Faen had kept the door to the ladies' restroom in his sights for just that purpose.

If the door unexpectedly opened with no one behind or before it, it was no doubt Odori. If a person was jostled by some unseen force as they left or entered the restroom, it could only be Odori.

A finger tapped on one of the hands he had rested on the table. Looking to who it was, Faen saw that it was Hitomi that tore his gaze away from the area around the ladies' restroom door. Sekai had a wallet in one hand, a debit card with Hitomi's name upon it in the other. Meanwhile, Megumi's had turned in her seat so that she could keep an eye on the room Odori had disappeared into.

"Come with me," Hitomi spoke to him in a voice that was barely above a whisper, as she stood up from the table. His superior hearing allowing Faen to hear her in the busy noises of the restaurant.

Seeing little else he could do, Faen stood up and followed Hitomi as she led him out the restaurant. He continued to follow her as she led him to the shadows of an alleyway a good distance away from their original location, and it was there that they stopped to speak again. They did not immediately say anything, however, for they took a moment to ensure they were alone so no one could overhear them.

Seeing that they were truly alone, Hitomi began to speak at last

"Has Odori ever told you _why_ she chose to come to Beacon? Why she desires to become a Huntress?" A strange thing to ask him, but one that Faen was capable of answering. Those team discussons he had the rest of FOOG partake in proving themselves useful again.

"To kill Grimm," he replied.

Hitomi expression turned to one of hollow amusement. She looked on him as if he were a clueless child that had given an incorrect answer to a older, wiser sibling's question.

"A half-truth." Hitomi smiled and lightly shook her head. Her smile, however, was without any actual mirth. "Dearest Odori was a... disturbed child when she was younger. She pulled the wings and legs off insects she could catch, and watched them struggle helplessly. She stepped on people's feet just to see their pained reactions. And when our house's caretaker showed her a rat he had drowned, Odori looked on in fascination and asked if it had suffered. Through becoming a Huntress, Odori will be able to satiate her desires in a way that is both beneficial and legal."

The elf remained silent as Hitomi spoke. Devoting most of his attention to what she was saying, and to keeping an ear out for anyone coming their way. What she had told him so far was some pretty heavy stuff.

"For her... ways, we and our mother spurned her. It motivated our mother to work more often, knowing that back home waited a child who delighted in the pain of others more than anything else. And for that we were... unkind to Odori. It was only later on, when the wisdom of years started to settle upon us, that we saw what a terrible thing we had done to our own sister. Now do I hope you understand why Odori acts the way she does towards us, and what kind of person Odori is on the inside."

Yes, Faen could see why his teammate was less than friendly to her own family members. The kind of person she was? That was a much harder pill to swallow. Hitomi never said the word, and seemed thoroughly unwilling to say it, but Faen understood what she was trying to tell him.

Sadist. Odori was a sadist, or so Hitomi was implying.

Was that really the kind of person his teammate was? Was really the pursuit of pleasure through the death of Grimm one of her reasons for coming to Beacon?

Killing the Creatures of Grimm, the nemesis of all intelligent life on Remnant, was a worthy purpose in Faen's opinion. One he more or less devoted himself to by coming to Beacon. Doing so to satiate one's own desires, that was something the elf felt uncertain about.

Faen himself took silent pride and joy whenever he fought and defeated a humanoid opponent, or slew a Creature of Grimm. The elf could not help it, but such emotions were brought about because of the thrill of facing and overcoming the challenges posed by both entities. He sometimes found himself quietly revelling in or after a fight against a worthy foe. Yet, he had never felt either emotion as intensely as Odori apparently did.

Still, before he got ahead of himself, Faen needed to think on this matter. Had he seen signs of sadism in Odori in the weeks he spent with her? He never noticed any obvious signs that could back up Hitomi's claim during his interactions with her younger sister. But, what if he _had_ seen signs, and just mstaken or ignored them?

The elf had noticed that Odori tended to draw out the spars she got into. When she attacked her opponents, his teammate tended to strike in ways that caused pain over damage.

There was one particular incident that came to mind which could support this claim of Odori's sadism. It was a sparring match against Dove Bronzewing of CRDL. As she fought him, the kitsune took her time to humiliate Dove, dodging and weaving past the human's attacks with the effortless grace of a well-practised dancer. After wittling away Dove's Aura, Odori finally forced him to the floor, and ended the fight by slamming her foot down on his gut.

Faen saw little wrong with it at first. Dove was a member of CRDL, and though a tad excessive, he secretly approved and enjoyed Odori's performance in that spar. Now though, the elf was not sure if that was the correct way to view that fight.

 _'O capricious fate. How you burden me!'_ Faen mentally grunted to himself. Quoting a line from 'The Red Prince' book he was reading.

Whatever the case, Faen would find out on his own if Odori was truly a sadist at heart. Besides, there was something else that began to concern him.

"I begin to understand. What I can do about it, and what you wish me to do, eludes me." As much as he appreciated Hitomi telling him this, the elf was certain there was more to this. She, Sekai, and Megumi, wished him to know this for a purpose. A reason that could benefit them as much as himself, if what Sekai had said earlier was to be believed.

The eldest of the Akagi sisters was prepared for this, and was quick to answer him. While her voice had been sombre earlier, Hitomi's sombre tone had deepened and her face was now grave. Whatever she was about to say to him, calling it 'serious' would likely be an understatement.

"Faen, I am telling you this because I want you to promise me something." Hitomi took a step towards him and stared deeply into his eyes. The longer he gazes into those red eyes, the more fox-like they seemed "Promise to help Odori find some other reason to be a Huntress. A reason not focused on her desire to inflict pain and death. I know I am asking much from you, but I see few other ways this can be done. We have tried, believe me we have, but I would not be asking you if we had succeeded."

Again, the kitsunes had found a way to catch Faen off-guard, and it took a good deal of strength for him to not visibly balk at Hitomi's plea. The eldest of Odori's sisters did indeed ask much of him. A fact very much increased when one considered that Faen and Hitomi had only just met. There was also the matter of the task the kitsune was asking him to perform.

Faen was no expert in psychology, and had zero experience when it came to dealing with sadists. So, the elf had no idea where to begin if he tried. Even if he did know, just what would he do?

"You are right. This is a lot you are asking of me. I am not even sure if what you want is possible," the elf responded to Hitomi.

"That I know. All I, and my other sisters, are asking is that you at least try. Please," the kitsune before him implored once more. She really wanted Faen to go ahead with this.

He might as well go through with it. Faen and Hitomi had spent more than enough time in this alleyway. Odori had more than likely left the restroom by now, and was definitely wondering where he and Hitomi had gone off. The sooner they finished things up here, the sooner they could head back.

Well, that and because he had become conscious of the time. The sun was really dipping towards the western horizon now, and the two Beacon students needed to catch an airship back to the academy before the sun disappeared.

"I promise I will _try_ do what I can to help your sister," Faen quickly swore to Hitomi. Normally, as dictated by elven tradition, promises like that were meant to start with saying something along the lines of 'I swear on my life/honour/soul" or "By the venerable ancestors, I swear-', but Faen had little time for such formalities right now. A simple 'I promise' would do, and it appeared satisfactory to Hitomi as well.

"Thank you," Hitomi graciously expressed her gratidute. A wave of something bordering relief washing over her face as she turned away from him, and started to walk out of the alleyway. "Come along now. Sekai will have paid our bill by now, and they must be waiting for us. Best not let their minds wander as to what is taking us so long to get back, correct?"

Faen could agree with her on that, and swiftly followed after her.

The two left the alleyway and made their way back to the restaurant. Odori, Sekai, and Megumi were standing before it, waiting patiently, or impatiently in Odori's case, for the two to come back. In fact, it seemed that Odori and Sekai were in the middle of a discussion that was starting to get a little heated from the sound of their tone. Thank goodness he and Hitomi had chosen now to head back.

"There you are! Was wondering where you'd gone off to," Megumi called out to Faen and Hitomi upon sighting them. Drawing the attention of the two other kitsune sisters to the elf and their returning sibling.

Megumi and Sekai welcomed them warmly enough. Odori did not.

"Yes. We had started to get worried. What were the two of you doing?" Odori narrowed her eyes at the two, her eyes gazing suspiciously at them. Faen might even call that look she was giving _him_ in particular accusing. As if she were wordlessly blaming him for doing something illicit with her older, highly attractive sister.

Faen mentally slapped himself for thinking that last part. Sure, she was 'hot', but now was not the time for such thoughts. Actually, he should not be having these thoughts. She was Odori's sister for crying out loud!

"Nothing to worry about, sister. Faen and I went to catch some air and go for a quick walk together. So that we could get better acquainted on a more personal level, if that is alright with you." Hitomi answered her younger sister in an attempt to dispel, or at least diminish, whatever thoughts that Odori was thinking. From the look on Odori's face, that had done nothing to allay any suspicions of what the two had been doing after disappearing on her.

Odori turned her eyes towards her sister for a split second, an emotion Faen could not place flashing through her eyes. This would not do, so Faen decided to intervene before things got out of hand.

"We should get going. Odori and I have to get back to Beacon," Faen said as he stepped between Odori and her sisters. Seeing that Sekai was holding onto the shopping bags he had been holding when they first encountered each other, the elf took them off Sekai's hands. Receiving a quick 'thank you' from the kitunse, though really, he should be thanking her.

"Why yes. We should really be going now!" Odori enthusiastically leapt at the prospect of leaving, a faux smile on her face as he grabbed hold of his arm, and tried to pull him away. Actually, when he thought about it, Odori's smile might probably be genuine. With what he had been told, Faen wondered if his teammate was actually smiling because leaving for Beacon meant she would be rid of her sisters.

Yeah, that was probably what was going on with her. And damn, his teammate's grip on his arm was tighter than a dwarf-made industrial vise. Hell of a lot more painful, too. Any tighter, and if she was holding onto exposed flesh, Faen was sure Odori's fingernails would likely have pierced his skin and drawn blood by now.

On second thoughts. When they got back to Beacon, it was best if he checked if Odori had indeed left marks on his arm, or drawn blood. The shirt he was wearing underneath this coat was white, and bloodstains were almost impossible to remove from white clothing. If Odori got bloodstains on it, _she_ would be cleaning it.

"We would like to come with you, if you do not mind." Sekai said, interrupting her twin sister's attempt to drag him away.

Odori most certainly minded, and looked about ready to reject Sekai's request then and there. Faen did not. The elf interjected before Odori could say a word, accepting the other kitsune's wish to accompany them. His teammate was most certainly unhappy with his interruption, but said nothing in objection to Faen's decision. She did let go of his arm in a rough manner, other than that, Odori did nothing but scowl at him and everything else that she saw.

With a new burden on his shoulders, a pretty miffed teammate, and her sisters, Faen started to walk his way to the airport. Today had certainly something.

* * *

"Feckin' hell! I'm done!" The dullahan member of FFOG yelled aloud as finished the final sentence of his class notes. Class notes that took two hours and twenty pages of his notebook to finish. That was not counting the pages he had torn out when saw a major mistake, or out of simple anger at having to be stuck taking down notes on history, while he could be anywhere else if he was not forced to do this.

"Shhhhh!" The librarian and a few other students immediately hushed him for his loud outburst.

"Sorry!" Friesian let out a hushed apology. This was not the first time he had to say that in the last hour and forty-five minutes of being in the library, but who cares? He was done.

And bloody hell, Friesian's wrist was aching from all the writing he had done. In the nearly two hours it took him get these notes done, Friesian guessed he had spent around twenty minutes of that time resting his writing hand.

Collecting his books and notes, and picking his head up from the table he worked at, Friesian made his way out of the library as soon as possible. Having caught up on his work, Friesian could occupy himself with some other stuff that he _wanted_ to do. Such as working on that game of 'Dark Paths' that he had been organising for the last week.

Dark Paths was a tabletop role-playing game that Friesian had come to enjoy, and wanted to set up a game between his friends. With him as the Gamemaster. Particularly his team, but RWBY, JNPR, and AMRT were welcome too. Although, given the current state of things, maybe having his team leader and JNPR's team leader in the same room for an hour might be a bad idea.

Whatever the case, Friesian was determined to set this game uo before the semester ended. he was going to make his friends play the game, and they were going to like it!

On his way to FFOG's dorm, Friesian met only a few people. Most were either studying, or having dinner at the cafeteria or in their dorms. Faen and Akagi had not messaged messaged him or left anything on FFOG's groupchat, so they were probably still in Vale. The same could be of Grey, though, why exactly this was so confused him to a degree.

Grey's detention was supposed to have ended around half-an-hour ago, and would have surely messaged the rest of her team by now.

Friesian shrugged his shoulders, and continued on his way. He was sure his teammate was fine. As far as he knew, she had probably gone off to the cafeteria for a bite to eat, and forget to message her team because of how hungry she was.

Yes. That was probably what was up with Grey. There was no need to worry or anything.

Entering the corridor that lead to his dorm, Friesian was intrigued by the sight of someone waiting patiently outside it. Drawing closer, he was even more curious of what was going on when he realised this person to be none other than Professor Taupe. He'd recognise that greyish-brown suit, alabaster white mask, and freaky tangle of snakes anywhere.

The professor noticed him approaching and turned towards him. Those cyan eyes behind her mask focused squarely on the dullahan as he walked closer.

 _'Crap, crap, crap! What's Taupe doing here?!'_ Friesian thought to himself as he continued to walk towards his dorm. He was sure he had done nothing wrong, and, apart from history, his classwork was pretty good. His combat skills were rated as above average, so it was probably not that. So, just why was Beacon's only demi-human professor here?

Was it something to do with the other members of his team?

Was she here because Akagi slashed the tyres of all the motorcycle in Beacon's garage before heading off to Vale? Had Grey done something inexcusable during her detention with Professor Taupe? Did Faen finally break someone's arm for insulting him?

"Mister Bones, hello." The gorgon professor greeted Friesian as soon as he was about eight paces from her. A few of the snakes on her head hissing something at him as well. Here was the moment of truth. "I was hoping Mister Tatharion and Miss Akagi would be with you. You will do, though."

"Professor Taupe? Uh, what're you doing here?" Friesian responded to Taupe, doing his best to hide his anxiety.

"Your teammate. Grey. The Wolf-Change started to overcome her during her detention with me." Fearful alarm immediately took hold of Friesian upon hearing the news. The professor noticed his distress, and continued speaking. "I was able to get her to a specialised room where we've stored werewolves before, but not before the change completed itself. Had to use my Semblance to restrain her until we reached the room. Miss Ulric will be safe there, do not worry."

The professor took out her Scroll, opened an app, and offered the device to Friesian. Hesitating for a moment, the dullahan took the Scroll from Professor Taupe, and gazed on its screen. The eyes of Friesian's head widened with shock to see what could only be a live camera feed of a padded room, and its beastial occupant.

The creature on the Scroll was not Grey, although, at the same time, it most definitely was.

A thick, matted coat of grey fur covered every part of the creatures body. Its legs, though still vaguely human, bore similarities to a canid's and walked on its toes. Long arms with razor sharp claws on each hand were sometimes used by the creature to move on all fours. A narrow snout filled with heavy, sharp teeth jutted forth from what used to be a purely human face.

The creature was howling and roaring incessantly at its confined. All around it, the room's padding had been ripped and torn open by the creature's dagger-like fangs and claws. It was a miracle that the camera observing all this had survived.

This was The Wolf. The monster that hid within all werewolves.

Friesian had seen Wolf-Changed werewolves on pictures and the internet, but this affected him in a way he could never have predicted. Knowing that this was his teammate, that she and this beast were one and the same, filled him with an unparralelled sense of dread. He honestly had to fight the urge to drop the Scroll, or toss it back into Taupe's hands.

Said professor reached forward and took her Scroll back from the dullahan. When Friesian's eyes looked up and met the professor's, he saw what he felt to be understanding in the gorgon's eyes. Being the professor in charge of demi-human affairs in Beacon, Friesian guessed that Taupe been forced to do his kind of thing many times before.

"Mister Bones, have you ever seen a werewolf transform into The Wolf?" Taupe unexpectantly asked the dullahan. He never had, and answered accordingly.

"No professor."

"It is a horrible process to watch. Worse to be the person experiencing the Wolf-Change. Words alone cannot describe the process." A shadow seemed to descend on Taupe as she began to spoke. Her eyes looking through him as she appeared to become lost in an old memory. Quickly snapping out of it, the professor resumed speaking. "She will likely return to normal before dawn tomorrow. When she returns, Miss Ulric will be moved to the Academy's infirmary so she may recupirate from her time as The Wolf. There she will spend the next couple of days until she fully recovers from the ordeal."

A couple days? Grey had not been kidding when she said that becoming The Wolf after so long would take a lot out of her, and that she would need some time to recover if the Wolf-Change happened now.

Well, the Wolf-Change _had_ happened, and the professor's best guess at her rate of recovery meant Grey would be stuck in the infirmary for a while. Her recovery sounded shorter than he initially thought it would be, not that he was complaining about it. Friesian's mind briefly turned to the thought of how long it would take a werewolf to come down from a _year_ without becoming The Wolf. If such a thing was even possible.

Turning his mind back to the conversation at hand

"I'll, uh, tell Faen and Akagi when they get back. Thank you professor," Friesian finally said after taking a moment to fully process what Taupe had just told him. Neither of them were going to like hearing about this.

"Good. Miss Ulric will require support from her team and friends. As such, I will arrange for the other members of staff to allow you, and the rest of your team, to visit Miss Ulric as she recovers whenever you wish. _Don't_ try to use it as an excuse to skip classes." Professor Taupe was quite quick to add that last part.

"Um, thank you professor!" Friesian was equally as quick to express his gratitude for what the professor had, and was willing, to do for him and his team. Once again, the dullahan wondered whether she had done this with the other students who had werewolf teammates. Either way, it was a kind thing to do, and Friesian deeply appreciated it.

"Hmm, yes. Have a good evening, Mister Bones." Taupe uttered in farewell as she walked past him, and left Friesian to his own devices.

Deciding to drop his stuff off before doing anything else. The dullahan entered his team's dorm, dropped his bag on his bed, and started to think of what to do. The first thing that came to mind was that he needed to notify his two other teammates right now. Which he would soon enough, it was just what was he to do afterwards.

Should he inform his friends in RWBY and JNPR? They would certainly want, and need, to know of this if they wished to continue being close associates of Grey.

Could he go ahead with his original plan, and work on that game of Dark Paths? After giving it some thought, the dullahan found his mind to be too distracted to work on it. The image of Grey's Wolf-form still lingered in his mind, and caused him some discomfort. Probably better if he just watched some videos on his Scroll, or read a magazine. He would do anything right now, so long as it took his mind away from The Wolf.

Finding he had little else to do that was urgent, Friesian set about informing his two other teammates of what had happened to Grey.

"Feck! Faen is not going to like this," Friesian grumbled to himself as he prepared a text message to the elf. As Grey's best friend, he thought it best to tell him first. It was still a bit strange to the dullahan how a werewolf could be best friends with an uppity elf. Not that Faen was a pompous jackass, Friesian though he was pretty okay guy, if a bit stand-offish and edgy.

The dullahan had no idea how Akagi would take the news,

Anyway, whatever Faen and Akagi had done in Vale, the dullahan hoped they had enjoyed it. For they would not like what was waiting for them in Beacon.

* * *

Elsewhere, in the City of Vale, the elf and the group of kitsunes were at the airport. They were currently outside the Departure gate, and would have gone through by now, if Odori's sisters had not insisted on saying their goodbyes to the two Beacon students. Faen was alright with it, though, he was starting to get a bit impatient.

Boarding for the next airship bound for Beacon was in ten minutes, and Faen really wanted to get going. A feeling that was shared with his teammate.

"Take care now, Odori." Sekai said to her twin, bidding her farewell. Odori mumbled back something that sounded vaguely like a goodbye, however, it sounded more like good riddance to Faen.

His teammate's twin sister did not show if such words registered. However, given these kitsunes' hearing was better than his own, Sekai most probably had heard what her sister said. If Sekai had very likely heard her sister, Faen had to give her credit for not letting any sort of hurt, or other such emotion, show.

"You take care as well, Faen. I pray that you find good fortune in your future endeavours," Sekai said to the elf. He wondered whether she meant that as a general farewell, or, and he was absolutely positive of it, if Sekai was wishing him well on curbing her sister's sadism. Either way, she had said her goodbye to him, now it was his turn to reciprocate it.

"And you as well," Faen replied to her with a quick nod of his head.

Sekai nodded in return, and backed away to join her other sisters. Hitomi and Megumi had already said their goodbyes, and were standing apart from Faen and Odori. Waiting for Sekai to finish saying her farewells.

The goodbye between Odori and Megumi was a quick affair. She had made an attempt to hug her sister, but Odori was able to prevent Megumi from hugging her by pushing the younger girl away. The younger fox-tailed sister frowned at Odori's resistance to her hug, yet made no issue of the matter. Now Megumi busy listening to some kind of pop music on her earphones.

She had said her own goodbyes to Faen as well. Their exchange was brief, but, during their farewell, Megumi took the time to compliment the elf's looks. It seemed she was about to say more to him, however, the youngest kitsune sister was pulled away from Faen before she had a chance to start. Faen was honestly thankful that she did not get the chance to finish. For the look on Megumi's face hinted at what she was planning to say being of a suggestive nature, or something along those lines.

Then there was Hitomi.

He and Hitomi acted normal enough, saying nothing to each other of the promise he had made to her. Though there was a lot of bustling people around them, their hundreds of voices and feet would not be enough to stop Odori from overhearing them if, even if the two whispered. So, much like with Sekai, the elf and older kitsune wished each other well and good luck in the future. There should not be anything suspicious in that.

Since Odori did not appear inclined to say the final farewell, the elf's teammate preoccupying herself by looking anywhere other than her sisters with a sullen look on her face. It fell to Faen to say the last goodbye to the other kitsunes on his and Odori's behalf. Codes of etiquette compelled him to

"Best of luck you two," Hitomi said to them as part of a last goodbye. A serene smile fixed on her face as she did.

Seeing as Odori felt no way inclined to return the gesture. The elf's teammate choosing to adopt an irate expression on her face, and turned her face towards anywhere else than her own sisters. As such, it fell to Faen to reply to Hitomi. Something that he was honestly not pleased to do, but he would do it anyway.

"Best of luck with the rest of your stay in Vale, and I hope you have a safe trip home." Hitomi's smile grew at Faen's decision to respond, or perhaps his choice of words.

A cough made by Odori, and what could only be her tapping on his arm, caused the Faen to turn and see what she wanted now. Looking at his teammate, the elf saw her tapping her Scroll, which currently showed had the time on its screen. The pair really needed to be on their way.

"We'd best be going now," Faen said to Odori's siblings as he picked up his shopping bags. Odori's siblings said nothing in response, just nodded and let the two leave. Well, more of let their second oldest sister drag the elf away and into the Departures gate by his arm. As he was being dragged away, Faen sent one last look towards the three other kitsunes.

His eyes met with each one of them. In each of their piercing gazes, Faen saw a look that he could only guess was meant to remind him of his promise to help their sister. Especially from Hitomi. As quick as Faen was to look back at them, the elf just as quickly turned awsy from the kitsunes.

He did not need anyone else to remind him of the promises _he_ had made.

As the two made their way through Departures, Faen having pulled his arm from Odori's grasp, the two said very little to one another. Odori looked to still be upset with having to spend time with her sisters, and, if he could take a guess, was not happy with how he behaved towards them. There was also the occasion where he and Hitomi had left the restaurant. She no doubt harboured suspicions, just what those suspicions were was a cause of concern for Faen.

Could she guess at what her older sister had asked of him? Faen made sure not to act differently towards his teammate, so to not give her any ideas. If he did so now, or in the ensuing days, Odori would probably believe something was up, and start interrogating him.

Not something that the elf desired. As such, the elf would exercise patience, while also keeping an eye out for any signs indicative of sadism. He had no precise idea of what he was supposed to be looking for, but he would keep an eye on Odori all the same.

He would also not act on his promise to Hitomi immediately. The elf had said nothing of when he would attempt to redirect Odori's supposed sadism to a more worthy purpose. Alongside that, another reason for his choice of inaction was his continued skepticism of Hitomi's claim. Hitomi had given him little cause to distrust her, but he needed to see evidence of sadism in Odori to believe the older kitsune.

When they were through Departures, the pair waited silently at their gate, alongside the Beacon students that had also come to Vale and were now headed back to the Academy. They did not need to wait long, for almost a minute after they had arrived, the two's gate opened and they were allowd to board their airship. It was only after they were done boarding and the airship was in the air, that the two spoke again.

"So, that was quite the trip." Odori finally said as she pulled her eyes away from the rolling Valean landscape, and to her team leader.

"It certainly was. Your sisters are quite interesting people." A shadow, and a glaring scowl directed at Faen, fell over the kitsune's face in response to the elf's bringing up her siblings. Seeing this, and now somewhat irritated with Odori's behaviour, Faen decided it was best to remind his teammate just _who_ it was that introduced him to her sisters. "While I enjoyed spending time with them, I would have _very_ much liked it if I was made aware in advance."

Odori's scowl disappeared, and the shadow over her face fell away, as soon as he was done talking. The new look that now came over her was a mix of wretched shame and petulant annoyance. Faen found it amazing how many different emotions people could display on their faces all at once. It was oddly fascinating to see, really.

Personal fascinations aside, Faen was in a conversation, and waited over the kitsune's reply. However, Odori said nothing, and avoided looking into Faen's eyes. The day was waning, as was Faen's ability to stand things like this.

"Whatever is going on between you and your sisters, you can keep to yourself. If you so wish. In the event that something like this is to happen again, inform us beforehand. We're teammates, Odori, let's try not to keep secrets from each other." Internally, Faen was aware of the hypocrisy of that last statement, for he was keeping secrets from Odori right now. Refusing to let it bother him, the elf waited for the kitsune's reply, again.

This time around, after looking back at Faen to meet his eyes, she finally responded.

"I am sorry, Faen, for deceiving you into this. I-I could not handle being with my sisters on my own for..." Odori hesitated for a moment, a conflicted look on her face. After a second's pause, the kitsune's face refocused and continued speaking. "Forgive me. I'm not sure if I am ready to say just yet."

Faen had a fair idea of what those reasons were, but the elf chose to remain silent on that matter. It was best to act ignorant right now, and also appear understanding to his teammate. Such actions, in Faen's mind would help generate trust between the two, and make it more likely for Odori to open up to him. It was a technique that that Grey had used to help get closer to him when they were younger.

May as well use it to bond with his teammate, and unravel any secrets Odori may be hiding from him. Gods, Faen made it sound as if he were trying to suss out some kind of grand, worldwide conspiracy.

"Very well then. Like I said, tell me what troubles you if ever you feel like it. There is no need to if that is your desire, and I will hold nothing against you, were you to make that choice." Faen wondered if he had made himself sound too kind just then. For, if not for the private discussion he had with Hitomi, the elf most certainly would hold it against her. Could he have just roused what suspicious Odori had then and there?

To the elf's relief, his kitsune teammate did not appear to find what he had said to be of suspect nature. She went so far as to thank him for his words.

"Thank you Faen. I appreciate your consideration," Odori responded to Faen's words in a quiet enough tone that only he could hear her. A thin, genuine smile gracing her face after she was done speaking, before she went onto enter a state of deep thought. Whatever was going on in his teammate's head, Faen let her be. There was something else troubling him right now.

What troubled the white-haired elf? Odori's smile.

For reasons he was not a hundred percent sure of, Faen liked seeing his teammate send a genuine smile at him. Looking at her smile like that was nice for some reason, and not knowing why exactly confounded him greatly. Taking a stab at the reason why, the elf came to the conclusion that it was because of the way Odori acted back there with her sisters. He had grown tired of seeing his teammate act so grumpy and wear a frown on her face throughout the entire affair, and seeing a real smile, not a forced one, pleased Faen.

Yes. That was probably what was going on with him.

 _'Hmmm. Is it ironic of me to think that?'_ Faen silently mused in his head. Grey told Faen that he acted grumpy and wore a frown on his face during most social gatherings they attended. Letting out a sigh, which he disguised as a deep exhale, Faen quietly admitted to the irony of his previous thoughts.

Whilst the elf was searching for something else to ruminate on, he noticed Odori break out from her contemplative state, and turn to Faen again. Looking at Odoris face, and most importantly, her eyes, Faen saw that she had something important to say to him. What it was exactly, the elf could not make out from her facial features alone. All that he could make out from looking into his teammate's red eyes, was that she was going to say something quite personal, and he braced himself for whatever Odori had to say.

"Just so we're clear. You _may_ call me Odori, if you like. I'd say we've known each other long enough for that, right?" This came as quite the surprise for Faen. For he had not been expecting that, nor was he concrete on why she was allowing him to call her by her first name. A second later, a thought that could explain why quickly popped into his head.

Could it be that Odori was doing the same thing as him? Was she doing this to establish trust and learn his secrets?

If that were so, Faen had to be careful. The elf already did hold his secrets close to his chest, and had experience in keeping them away from others. Ensuring Odori learnt nothing of them, especially his promise to Hitomi, would not be something new to Faen. Yet, something inside of Faen told him that such an effort would a challenge.

Turning his mind back to their current conversation, Faen thought it best to answer her before any suspicious blossomed in her mind. But, honestly, it was probably too late for that.

"Very well then... Odori." The edges of the kitsune's mouth rose at his acceptance of her suggestion. Again, the elf, while he was enjoying the developing bond between him and Odori, he remained cautious of her on the inside. His teammate was after all an alleged sadist, and she might be trying to learn his secrets.

As the two watched the Valean landscape pass them by through a nearby window, Faen decided to check for any messages on his Scroll. It had vibrated in his inner coat pocket while they were on their way to the airport. Alerting him of a message, or something like that.

After taking out and opening his Scroll, Faen's interest was instantly piqued. He had received a few text messages from Friesian, five in total actually. What the dullahan was messaging him for, the elf was unsure, but for some reason, he felt that he should dread it.

Why that was so, the elf quickly learnt when he read said messages.

* * *

 **Again, sorry this took a while, and sorry for the lack of action. I will try to put some in the next chapter.**

 **It will probably be after one or two more chapters that I take this chapter back into canon events. Though, how involved they will be in it I have yet to decide. Time will tell what role FFOG will play.**

 **I will see you all when I next see you.**


	12. What have we found?

**Author's Note:**

 **Here we are, another chapter of 'Demi-Human Students of Beacon.' Took longer to finish, but here we are.** **I meant for more action in this chapter, but I felt too fatigued to actually include this big fight that I initially intended to write into the chapter.**

* * *

 **What have we found?**

It had been two days since Faen and Odori's outing to Vale, and their most intriguing, and highly unexpected, rendevous with the latter's sisters. As well as Grey's transformation into The Wolf.

When Friesian notified Faen and Odori of what had occured, the news struck him like a bolt of lightnning. Felt like it too.

As soon as they learnt from Friesian of Grey's transformation, the two rushed back to Beacon as swiftly as possible. By the time they arrived, it was already early evening and they were met by Professor Taupe, who went into greater detail as to what exactly happened. When Grey reverted back to her humanoid form and moved to Beacon's infirmary, Faen sat by her bedside whenever he had the chance to.

The werewolf was currently lying unconscious on her bed. She had slept for the last day and a half. One of the longest recovery periods Faen's friend had ever experienced, the longest being two days and three hours.

It was not a peaceful sleep that Grey was having right now. She frequently tossed, turned, and whined as she slept. On more than a couple occasions did Faen have to prevent his best friend from falling off her bed. Thank the gods he had done this kind of thing before, and was capable of taking care of Grey himself. That experience came at no small amount of effort or hardship for both elf and werewolf, yet it was useful no matter what.

Seeing Grey lying on the infirmary bed like this brought an old discussion he had with her back into his mind. As well as let an old source of perturbation rear its head and gnaw at Faen from within.

In that old discussion, the two demi-humans had stared up at the night-sky and spoke of what was the hardest part of the Wolf-Change for them. Grey found the moment of transformation to be the hardest part, for she felt her body painfully remold itself as The Wolf overwhelmed her in mind and body. What was worse than the physical pain Grey felt was the fear. The terrible fear of what she, what The Wolf, might do.

For Faen, it was seeing her like this.

Seeing the werewolf, his best and only true friend, in such a pitiable state was always jarring to the elf. It shook him to the very core of his soul.

Needless to say, Faen hated what The Wolf did to Grey. Hated that fate so cursed his friend with this monstrous ailment. If there was some cure, or a means to lessen its effects on her, Faen would take it and save his friend from The Wolf's influence. Were a personal sacrifice to be asked of him for it, he would suffer it, no matter what it may be. Anything so that Grey did not live in the baleful shadow of The Wolf.

His friend had ceased tossing around in the bed, and no more whines escaped from her. Her face, which often twisted into a tormented or aggressive expression, was now relatively peaceful. She would wake soon, much to his relief. All he needed to do was wait for Grey to come around.

Sure enough, after a few silent minutes, Grey's yellow eyes cracked open.

With a loud groan, the werewolf sat up in her bed, sttetching her limbs and letting out a wide yawn that showed off all her teeth. As soon as she was done, Grey blinked her eyes a few times before turning towards Faen. Emotions of relief and distress dancing through her eyes at the same time.

"Hey Faen. Figures you'd be the first person I see. You been with me all day?" Grey's voice was throatier than was normal, a simple side effect of the change. She would recover and return to normal, Grey always did, and often quite quickly.

"Most of the last day and a half," Faen responded to her as he leaned forward in his chair. "How are you feeling?"

"Damn, that long? And yeah, I feel like shit right now. My mouth feels like I've been chewing on a pillow," the werewolf uttered back to Faen. She was not exactly wrong about that last part, for The Wolf had been chewing on the confinement room's padding. Thank the gods she did not fall into biting herself during her confinement. "The others come to see poor old me?"

"They have. I'll message them that you're awake." Faen started to reach into his coat pocket for his Scroll, however, he was stopped by one of Grey's clawed and fur-covered hands.

"Let me do it," Grey said insistently. Giving it some thought, Faen decided to acquiesce to Grey's plea, and handed the werewolf her Scroll, which he had held onto for safe-keeping.

"Dreams?" He went on to ask as she took her Scroll, following their usual routine.

"Nothing to worry about," Grey nonchalantly replied to Faen. That was one fat lie, but the elf thought against calling his friend out for it. There were more important matters.

Faen sat there and watched as his best friend opened her Scroll and started to type something down on Team FFOG's groupchat. Seconds later, Faen's Scroll let out a ping as Grey finished her message and popped up in the groupchat. Looking at Grey had sent, Faen could not help but look at his friend blankly, for the message read, 'Guess who's back bitches?!' The werewolf just cast him a toothy smirk upon seeing his reaction, and started typing down messages to Teams RWBY and JNPR.

Not even ten minutes awake, and Grey was already back to her usual shenanigans. The elf knew not whether he wanted to smile and shake his head, or to knock her on the head with his fist. As soon as Grey finished typing and sending messages, she looked down at herself, and frowned at the sight of what she was wearing.

"You let them put a hospital gown on me?" Faen rolled her eyes at the shift in Grey's concerns. His friend loathed wearing dresses and gowns of any kind, even hospital gowns, and would sooner be caught naked in bed than wear anything close to the aforementioned forms of attire. Thank goodness he came prepared for this.

"Here, I brought your clothes. Just don't rip it off before we get some privacy screens over here." Faen leaned to the side and pulled Grey's combat outfit from a duffel bag on the floor beside him, before quickly handing it to her.

On the other side of the infirmary, the nurse who was on duty saw Grey was awake, and was quick to come to her side. After spending a good few minutes checking that Grey was alright, the nurse allowed Grey to go ahead and change, pulling some screens around her bed so she could have some privacy. That did not mean she was not yet excused from the infirmary just yet. There were to be a couple more examinations the nurse needed to perform on Grey, to ensure that she had not hurt herself and stuff.

So, Grey changed into her own clothes, and once she was done the two waited as the nurse checked on Grey. After a couple minutes, the nurse was done and declared that Grey was fine, however, she should stay on her bed for the next half-an-hour minutes.

Seeing they had little else to do, the two demi-humans got to talking about what the werewolf had missed. The first subject was his outing with Odori, which Grey took a _keen_ interest in. Much to Faen's frustration, Grey chose to jokingly refer to the outing as a 'date', knowing full well much it would annoy him to no end. Once he mentioned that Odori had tricked him into meeting her sisters, the werewolf was as surprised as the elf was when he met them, and listened intently to his description of said sisters.

Grey reacted rather mildly when he spoke of Hitomi. She herself had an older sister, and knew what it was like to have one. Faen said nothing of his secret discussion with the older kitsune, or even of Odori's resentment towards her sisters. He was tempted to tell her, but chose against that course of action, even though he despised keeping Grey in the dark.

Hitomi had not told him whether or not he could involve others. The elf came to the conclusion that it was best not to for the sake of secrecy. After all, a secret was better kept when fewer people knew of its existence.

Anyways, when he spoke of Sekai, Grey was largely indifferent towards her, although, the fact that she was Odori's young twin sister caught her off guard. She then went on to express admiration for Sekai's choice to follow a life of medical career. But, other than that, Grey then stated that Sekai sounded alright, but largely uninteresting in her opinion.

His description of Megumi, on the other hand, resulted in a more positive reaction from Grey. She approved of the youngest kitsunes taste in fashion, attititude, and openly laughed when he told Grey of how Megumi complimented his appearance twice. What was so funny, Grey chose not to elaborate on, only saying that she liked the sound of Megumi.

As the two continued to wait, their conversation turned to a subject more personal for the two. One involving the Wolf-Change.

"Do you feel that you should have been there?" Grey questioned the elf, those nine words striking a chord inside the elf. As they always did whenever she spoke them.

She did not specify what she meant, there was no need to. They had this conversation several times before,

"Of course I do. The signs of your change were as clear as day, yet my mind was... elsewhere." That elsewhere being the fraud named Jaune. Though Faen thought himself right to behave as he did towards Jaune, it had allowed him to stray away from his friend when she would have needed him. If not for Professor Taupe, gods grace her name, who knows what could have happened.

Grey appeared to understand the elf. She, however, failed to agree with him on what he said about being with her.

"You can't be near me forever. Hells, there's no guarantee that we'll be friends forever, as much as we'd like that." Faen's chest tightened unexpectedly, and a lump seemed to form in his throat when he heard Grey speak those terrible words. Try as he might, there was no denying that Grey was right in saying they could one day seperate for... an indefinite period of time. "Whenever I change, and whatever happens while I'm The Wolf, will happen. Worrying or beating ourselves up over it will do us no good."

"You're right. You're right," the elf sighed. Ever since the first time Grey underwent the Wolf-Change after their friendship began, Faen had always tried to be there when the next happened. He could not, and it was an issue that he could not let go of.

"Of course I'm right ya downer!" The werewolf stated as she lightly punched his arm, repeating what she had said to him when they first arrived to Beacon.

Leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees, Faen allowed the edge of his lips to curl upwards by a fraction. Not out of amusement of what Grey's words, but the strength she displayed. His friend had just awoken from the nightmarish affair of being The Wolf, and here she was, acting as though she had just had a normal night's sleep. On the other hand, it could quite possibly be just that, an act. If that were the case, her act was a good one.

Still, in spite of Grey's words, there was no way he could stop thinking on the perils of The Wolf within Grey. Even if he tried his hardest, the elf would not be able to. A fact he made clear to his dear friend.

"Won't stop me from trying, or from worrying about you."

"Yeah. You're a real worry-wart," Grey let out a lighthearted snort at his proclamation. For a brief moment they sat there in silence, before Grey decided to abruptly break it. "You know what'll help us right now? A hug!"

"What?!" Faen exclaimed, sitting up straight on his chair as Grey opened her arms wide to him. For quite obvious reasons, Faen was incredibly surprised by her sudden proposal. While he was accustomed to hugs from Grey, the unexpected nature of the offer for one now really threw him off.

"Come here gloomy guts!" The werewolf said as she quickly moved towards him, her lips forming a teeth-filled smile. Before Faen could do anything to stop her, Grey was upon him, and had affectionately wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Finding he was stuck in Grey's arms, and knowing there was no way out, Faen let out a resigned sigh of acceptance. Hugs between the two were rare, as Faen was not much of a hugger himself, but the elf was willing to receive and reciprocate hem. As with a great many things, such behaviour only ever occurred with Grey. Slowly, Faen wrapped his arms around his friend's torso, returning his friend's tender gesture.

She needed the comfort the hug conferred more than he did. More than she was letting on, probably.

The two spent what felt like an hour like this, though it may very well have been just a couple minutes. Suddenly, the infirmary door was thrown open with a loud and startling bang. Both Faen and Grey seperated from each other in an instant, and almost jumped out of their skin, as a result of this unforeseen incident.

Turning to the door, the demi-humans saw that the other members of FFOG, along with Teams RWBY and JNPR, were the ones responsible. Well, more of Nora, the self-proclaimed 'Queen of the Castle and Breaker of Legs', was. As it appeared to be her who had kicked the door open. A very Nora thing to do, if Faen had to be honest.

"Nora!" Weiss, Ren, and Pyrrha disapprovingly cried out to the hyperactive girl for the noisome way she opened the infirmary door. Nora, to the consternation of the others, ignored them, and was at Grey's side in an instant. A barely comprehensible barrage of words streaming from her mouth faster than either Faen or Grey could keep up with.

 _'By the gods. Doesn't she have a "calm down" switch?'_ The young, white-haired elf groused in his head.

They were quickly joined by the others, who reined Nora in, crowded around the bed. Faen crossed his arms and turned his eyes away from the lot of them. Jaune was with them, and the elf still refused to have anything to do with the human until he succeeded in his upcoming test of worth. If he did succeed, which Faen very much doubted.

The loud and unannounced entry of these ten new arrivals drew the on-duty nurse's attention, and ire judging by the glint in her eye. Despite that, the nurse remained calm and lightly scolded the three teams. She then informed them that Grey was quite fine, and could leave the infirmary.

After joyously thanking the nurse, the three teams of FFOG, RWBY, and JNPR left the infirmary and started making their way to the cafeteria. For a brief moment, Faen was tempted to discreetly walk away from the group, but the elf chose to stay instead. His dislike and wish to be as far from Jaune as possible, was overpowered by his resolve to stay and keep an eye on Grey. To make sure his friend was truly alright, of course.

"Are you coming with us, Faen?" Ruby's voice called to him, breaking the elf out from his thoughts and back to reality. Seeing that the others had stopped where they stood and were looking curiously at him, as he was lagging behind them by more than a metre. Thinking quickly, Faen formulated a response to Ruby's question.

"Yes. After all, _someone_ has to make sure Grey doesn't eat herself into a food coma right after waking up from The Wolf. Besides, she also needs to eat her vegetables." Faen uttered as he walked up to the group, stood next to Grey, and folded his arms. Even though he was not facing her, Faen was sure Grey had bristled at the mention of her needing to eat vegetables.

Judging by the look on Ruby's face, and a couple others, she had probably hoped the rift between the elf and Jaune was starting to heal. That Faen was about ready to get over Jaune fraudulence. If that was indeed what Ruby and the others were thinking, then they understood him less than they liked to believe.

Finally turning his head to face Grey, the elf saw that the werewolf was frozen still and her skin had suddenly turned pale. Not because she was sick or anything, but for another reason. Faen knew quite well why Grey was the way she was, as it had been his intent for her to be like this. All because he had uttered a single word. A word that terrified his friend almost as much as the Wolf-Change.

Vegetables.

While Werewolves were capable of eating fruits and vegetables, they ate them out of bodily need. The need for vitamin A, C, potassium and all those other nutrients the body needed that could only come from 'green food' as Grey put it. Not because they found either of the two food types highly enjoyable. Which was why Faen was enjoying the pleading look on Grey's face, as if begging him not to go through with his plan.

Oh yes, Faen had found his way of getting back at Grey for all those jokes she had made before.

* * *

In the next week, life in Beacon started to return to what passed for 'normal' in the Huntsman Academy.

Word had gotten out of Grey's recent change to The Wolf, as a result, plenty of the other students kept Grey at arms-length. This was nothing new to Grey, and she acted as if nothing had happened. Friesian stuck around Grey, though there was an air of caution around the dullahan whenever he stayed near the werewolf. Like many others, Grey's transformation into The Wolf had affected him. For good or ill, he knew not.

Faen did little about this. Trusting in both demi-humans to be able to handle themselves, for they were partners, and it was a matter Faen felt should be dealt with on their own. However, the elf decided to watch them from afar, to ensure things did not go badly somewhow.

Speaking of partners, Odori looked like she had gotten over her sisters, for now, which was good. On the other hand, the kitsune appeared to have become more and more attached to him. To the point that she seemed intent on spending more time with him. From eating lunch together to getting their homework done, there were few things that Odori did not wish to do with him. It was starting to get rather tiresome, if Faen had to be honest.

However, he did not allow this growing weariness to get the better of him, nor stop him from thinking up reasons as to why the kitsune was acting as she was.

While it could just be her simply wanting to be with him more, Faen could not help but let a creeping suspicion grow in the back of his mind. That Odori was not really spending time with Faen, more of keeping an eye on him herself. Searching for any sign of what exactly happened, or was said, between Faen and Hitomi, her eldest sister.

It could be just him. There was no evidence to back up his suspicions, but Faen chose to be careful in the event of it being the truth.

For himself, when one did not count the aforementioned matters of his teammates, things were pretty alright. Classes, while becoming steadily more difficult, were still manageable. So long as he remained focused, and tried his best, he would manage. The professors were also pushing the students harder in their sparring sessions, another challenge the elf would see himself overcome.

As he had promised himself, Faen found the time to call home, and told his parents of the struggles with his Semblance. In spite of his hopes, the young elf's parents provided him no definite method to handle the problem. None that Faen could see, anyway. They did suggest he perform some traditional Elven meditations before a fight, but Faen did not see how exactly that was supposed to help him.

He had never really tried to meditate before, for that was one Elf ritual he found little patience for. In all honesty, Faen's parents had tried to get him into meditation for years as a way to 'sublimate' him with more Elven culture. As much as Faen had his reservations about its usefulness, he promised his parents that he would try to meditate. Though, he never stated when he would try.

Other then his damned Semblance, there was one other matter Faen and his parents discussed. That being a delivery that was due to arrival for him in the next week or so. No specifics were mentioned, only that the contents of the delivery were meant to be given to him when he turned 18 in Autumn. But, given that he would not be in Avalon during his birthday, and that the Vytal Festival would take place in Autumn, Faen's parents thought it best to send it to their son now.

Just what this delivery could be, Faen had no clue. His own parents refused to go into detail as to what it was. He did not ask for anything as he had no idea what he wanted for his eighteenth, or any other gift-giving event for the last year. Faen would just have to wait and see.

In the time until its arrival, Faen had plenty of others things to do.

As Beacon was an academy to train Huntsmen, there was more to their lessons than them sitting around and listening to lectures all day. Nor did they just spar against each other in preparation for when they fought human foes. No, they were to become the ultimate slayers of Grimm, and the best way to become that was to go out and fight them.

So, from time to time, a professor would take students out to the Emerald Forest or other locations outside of the safe confines of Beacon to slay any Grimm they could find. Most of these 'Hunts', as Faen had come to refer to such excursions, were meant to exterminate a pack of Grimm or a single powerful Grimm that was too close to Vale or other locations. It made for good practise and sport.

On this particular excursion, a large group of particularly bothersome Grimm had been sighted in the countryside north of Vale two days ago. It was some distance away from the Forever Fall Forest, and dangerously close to a small village in the middle of being constructed.

Just why these humans were setting up a village all the way out here, no one seemed to question. Faen himself did not care enough to ask. To him, the agendas of fools rarely warranted the attention such questions gave them.

Then there was the matter of the Grimm themselves. From what few reports had come in, this group of Grimm were comprised entirely of a species identified as 'Zotz'. Short, nightmarish, humanoid Grimm with bat-like heads and wings, and clawed hands that could tear through tree bark. Zotz were more commonly seen in the far western regions of the continent of Sanus, and were comparatively rare sights this far east.

All that aside, the presence of Grimm so close to inhabited areas posed a danger, and was marked as a golden opportunity for another 'Hunt'. Which was why Faen and his team were sent to remove the threat of these Grimm.

An unholy screech filled Faen's ears, one of many which filled the air really, as a Zotz came swooping down at him from above. Taking swift action, Faen aimed Aglar in its spear-form and thrust it at the Zotz as soon as it came within striking distance. The elf's effort was rewarded with the satisfying sight of the creature being impaled on Aglar's blade, the steel biting deep into its chest.

With all his strength, the elf pulled the creature down and pinned the beast to the ground, sinking Aglar deeper into its dark heart. If it had one.

As soon as it stopped moving a second later, Faen rose his left arm, and fired a Fire Dust-tipped bolt from his wristbow at another Zotz. The Fire Dust-tipped bolt flew through the air and struck the other Zotz at the base of its neck. A small, fiery explosion erupting upon contact with it. Said explosion seared the Zotz and blasted off small junks of its pitch black flesh, almost instantly killing the Grimm as it violently collapsed onto the ground. Such a gratifying sight.

Two more Zotz charged towards Faen, one running on all fours, while the other flew at him with its frayed wings. They too will die, Faen would see to it.

Hitting the switch on Aglar's spear shaft, the weapon instantly snapped back into it sword form, and immediately Faen decapitated the Zotz that ran at him with one clean swing of the weapon. Wasting no time in admiring that superb kill, the elf turned his attention to the other Zotz which was bearing down on him. Swiftly devising how he would dispatch this Grimm, Faen allowed it to get in close, letting it take a swing at him with a clawed hand.

Not that he allowed the attack to land.

Faen leapt over the Zotz with an Aura augmented jump, shifted Aglar into its spear-form, and stabbed the blade into the top of the Grimm's head while still in mid-air. Putting his full weight behind his spear, Faen drove Aglar's blade through the Zotz's skull and pinned it to the ground. A flashier and more energetic way to kill the beast than Faen liked, yet it was dead, what did how showy he slew it matter now?

Another Zotz swooped down behind Faen in an attempt to surprise the elf. Before the elf could turn Aglar to strike, or at least block, the Grimm, three bolts of lightning shot forth and electrocuted the creature to death. Looking to the origin of the bolts, Faen saw that it had been Amarantha who was his saviour. The three bladed prongs of her trishula, Enlightnment, crackling with veins of lightning.

Inclining his head in thanks to the naga, the white-haired elf resumed with the task of slaying the remaining Zotz. Of which, very few of the original three dozen now remained. All thanks to the co-ordinated efforts of both FFOG and AMRT.

In this Hunt FFOG had been dispatched with AMRT. While Faen was sure his team could handle the four dozen Zotz by themselves, he did not begrudge or refuse the aid from his fellow demi-humans. They were, in fact, quite welcome to join this Hunt.

After bisecting a Zotz with a swing at its waist, Faen looked to the others, and saw that the rest were nearly done mopping up the last of the Zotz. They were easy prey for the Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-Training, their ability to fly was annoying though. Faen's team were performing admirably enough, as expected of _his_ team. Of Team AMRT, they were doing just as well as FFOG, though his pride prevented him from admitting they might match or surpass FFOG.

First of all, Amarantha, who wore a headdress that greatly resembled a King Cobra's hood and minimalistic pale-purple robes that exposed a fair amount of skin, was rapidly slithering here and there. Her trishula flashing in the afternoon sun every time it was thrust into a Grimm, or shot lightning from its prongs. Amarantha's long snake tail was used to whack aside any assailant, she even, once, coiled around a Zotz and crushed it.

As the elf watched the naga, Faen saw a pattern with her. Amarantha's attacks were not only aimed to eliminate Grimm, but to also protect the others from harm by intercepting any Zotz that might slip past their attacks or defences.

For that, Faen felt a budding sense of respect for Amarantha rise inside of him. Perhaps he should follow her example in the future.

Monica, or 'Sister' as the vampiric nun had come to be nicknamed by everyone else, stood out quite a bit. Not surprising since she had one hell of a weapon. Mediatrix, her weapon, was a lance that could transform into a mace that resembled a oversized aspergillum, and even into a machinegun. That Monica, of all people, wielded such a weapon, made Faen question a lot of things about the young nun.

Foremost of which was what kind of nunnery allowed one of its sisters to build and wield such a weapon? It was a question asked by many other students when they first saw her use it in a sparring match. One Monica had never given a straight answer to.

The young vampire had mown down several Grimm with her lance-gun, and skewered two on the weapon's long tip. When things got too up close and personal for Mediatrix lance or machinegun to be used properly, Monica whipped out her mace, and went to town on the Zotz. She was not exactly the best or most exemplary warrior, in Faen's mind. Truth be told, she was likely the weakest here, but that did not mean Monica was a bad fighter.

It was daytime, however, and the Sun was shining brightly down on them. If they were fighting during the night, or if it were cloudy to the point no sunlight could get through, that may very well be a different story.

Just as Faen cut the arm off a Zotz that dared approach him, then followed it up with a punch square in its face, the body of another Zotz almost fell right on top of the elf. Taking a moment to glance upwards, Faen saw the winged angel of AMRT, Reuel, battle against the Grimm in the sky.

In his hands Reuel swung and thrust Ascalon, a cruciform greatsword that was nearly as long as he was tall, at the band of Zotz that sought the overwhelm him. Reuel was in his element, however, and the Grimm quickly found themselves outmatched by the angelic warrior. For fighting an Angel in the sky was as unadvisable as trying to wrestle a Great White Shark in the open sea.

As Faen watched Reuel kill three Zotz with a single sweep of Ascalon, the light of the Sun glinted off his gilded suit of armour, his great white wings shone like silver under its brilliant gaze, and his billowing waist-cape danced around his legs. He seemed to strike a pose for a brief second, before proceeding to finish off his last two opponents by running the two of them through with his greatsword. As he fought, Faen could see the angel's eyes glimmer with a furious zeal that almost made him pause when he came under Reuel's gaze.

Just seeing Reuel fight like that from the ground was enough for Faen to understand why Humans, and Faunus, had worshipped and revered the Angels.

A boom filled the air, and turning to its source, showed it was Tora who was behind it. Easily towering above the Grimm, it was easy for the oni to crush and smash aside any Zotz that came within reach of him and his kanabo, Demon Gate. If a Zotz was too far for his arms to reach, all Tora needed to do was snap his kanabo into its alternate form and blast a metal slug at the creature. To be honest, every time Tora fired Demon's Gate in its gun-form, Faen would almost jump out of his from how loud and sudden it was.

A fierce mountain of muscle that decimated any and all Grimm that got in his way with the strength of a Goliath. His way of slaying lacked subtly or grace, but he was efficient in the art, that much Faen could give him credit for.

Tora wore an orange waistcoat over his bare, and well-muscled, torso. Brown leather bracers wrapped around his forearms. Dark, baggy pants and heavy boots were worn over his legs and feet. Around his waist was a cloth tiger print sash that, out of all the things he wore, Tora did the best to keep neat and clean. Faen guessed the sash had some kind of personal value to Tora if the normally unkempt oni treated it the way he did.

Soon enough, the last of the Zotz were slain. Its body collapsing in a mangled heap as Friesian's bladed-whip tore up its flesh. The primary objective of their Hunt finished, the demi-humans took the time to take a well earned reprieve amongst the steadily disappearing corpses of the Zotz. Very quickly, the teens began to chat amongst them.

"Ah, mission complete!" Friesian jubilantly cried after taking a few gulps of water from his canteen of water. They had all been issued one prior to heading out, and, much like Friesian, the other demi-humans drank from theirs.

"It will be nice to return to the Academy once we're done. We do have a good deal of work to before term ends," Monica muttered after making a quick prayer of thanks, and then took a sip from hers. Plenty back in Beacon joked that Monica prayed every time something eventful happened, which the nun had made no effort to discourage or acknowledge as fact. Was she even aware of the joke?

"Please, Sister, could you not bring up classwork right now? Let us revel in our victory," Odori lightly rebuked Monica as she caressed the flat edge of Divine Omen's blade with her free hand. He agreed with the both of them, but Faen honestly agreed with Odori more. They had just fought a horde of Grimm, they should enjoy the moment at least.

Retreating his canteen from his mouth and raising his mask over his face again, Faen took a moment to survey the area around them. There were no Grimm approaching them as far as he could see, and Faen was absolutely sure he would hear one before that. Still, the elf kept his sword-arm ready and near his sheathed sabre. Just in case anything were to happen.

"Any of you wanna head to Vale when we get back? I found this great peri peri chicken place that gives discounts to Beacon students! Ya'll interested?" Tora offered to his comrades, his mouth forming into a toothy smile. It was not a bad idea, for Faen liked peri peri chicken, but the price of going out to Vale and eating out was something he was wary of.

"'Peri peri chicken'? Oh my gods yes! Faen, Friesian, Akagi, we _have_ to go!" Grey enthusiastically urged her teammates as stars shone in her eyes.

"Let us not make any plans just yet. We need to inform Professor Port of our success before we do anything else." Reuel reasonably suggested to the others. The angel was right, and Faen reached into his coat for his Scroll. Turns out he did not need to bother, as Amarantha had already taken hers out, and was on a call with the professor right now.

"Professor, we've slain all the Zotz in the area," Amarantha spoke into her Scroll's microphone "Is there anything else you need to do?"

As with many other excursions into the field, Beacon professors hung back and let their charges complete their missions on their own. To promote self-reliance and other skills the students may need in the future. If the two teams had been sent to slay a tougher, or larger, group of Grimm, Professor Port would have gladly accompanied them. Aside from his own grandiose tales, the Grimm Studies professor loved nothing more than fieldwork.

However, the Zotz had been evaluated as a minimal threat to the two teams. As such, they did not require Professor Port's aid in exterminating them.

"Haha, good show! Now then, my daring students, your next objective is to investigate a woodland area north of you." Professor Port's voiced boomed through the Scroll's speaker. The news that they had more to do caused a few of the demi-humans to let out dejected groans. "Word is that two airships were seen landing in those woods two days ago. Shortly after that, the Zotz started appearing from that area. I am not sure what you will find, but I recommend checking that position out either way."

"Right. We'll get moving now," the naga said as she beckoned Faen and the others to get back on their feet. With a small amount of groaning and complaining from some, which Amarantha quickly shut down with a stern glare, FFOG and AMRT got back onto their feet.

"Good luck, students! I'll be on standby in case anything happens." With those words, the professor ended the call.

Everyone was now on their feet, and had started moving by the time the professor uttered the last syllable of his sentence. Deciding to stick together as one large group, though Reuel took to the air to scout ahead, the band of demi-humans began to march north in search of airships that may or may not be there. It was things like this that made the job of a Huntsman appear less... glamorous than how the media tended to depict it.

Then again, when was something as great as people portrayed it.

Amarantha stood at the front of the group, leading them on to the nearby woodland where their objective possibly lay. Behind her was Tora, Grey, and Friesian. After them came Odori and Monica. Finally, Faen stood at the group's rear, guarding it and keeping an eye on them all.

They were quiet to begin with, more focused on walking to their newest objective and keeping an eye out for threats than anything else. In time, however, they fell back to conversing with each other. They had entered the woods, and no Grimm had leapt out to challenge their advance through the trees. Without such a distraction, what else could they do but talk?

"I heard that at the start of the next term, the students from the other Academies will arrive. What do you all think? Ready to meet the rest of our competition?" Grey's eyes gleamed with excitement as she spoke.

Ah yes, the transfer students that would arrive at Beacon for the glorious Vytal Festival, though more specifically, they were here for the Tournament. The end of the Spring term was in a couple weeks, so the Beacon students had plenty of time to prepare and plan for both events.

"Haha! Fresh challengers! I cannot wait!" Tora said as he let out a booming laugh at the prospect to facing the transfer students in a fight, disturbing a few birds resting in the nearby trees. Of course new opportunities for fights would be the first thing that came to Tora's mind. Not much of a surprise really.

Honestly though, the oni was not alone in his joy of fresh people to contend his strength against. Even Faen had found himself steadily anticipating the arrival of the students from Atlas, Haven, and Shade. He wished to see how they fought, and whether he could sharpen his skills on them. Or perhaps he could mingle with his peers from the other Academies.

After all, they might be useful in the future. Getting well acquainted with some of them may heighten their willingless to cooperate with Faen if he needed them.

Still, these were strangers Faen was talking about. Actually interacting with them was something he was not a big fan of. But, if Faen was capable of handling his teammates and close acquaintences, he _could_ tolerate the students from other academies. He just needed to look at them as something other than stranger to be distrusted for being strangers.

"They'll make things more interesting in Beacon. Might bring some trouble too," Amarantha said in her usual monotonous tone. Breaking Faen out from his private ruminations.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Faen chipped in. He stopped for a moment, his hand going to Gwaedh's grip when he saw movement to the group's left. To both his relief and disappointment, it turned out to be nothing but some skittish deer that darted away from them.

"Hey. Think I should pull that 'head-in-a-box' prank I did on Team RWBY? I'd love to see how some of those transfer students react," Friesian laughed as his lips formed a devilish grin. The possible reactions to the prank were likely playing out in his mind right now. He had done similar such stunts before and to different people, but the one done to RWBY had brought about the most laughs.

Admittedly though, the laughs they had mainly came from how Yang had tried to pulverise them to a viscous paste moments after the prank. No one was hurt, and it was all in jest, so the students reasoned that it was okay to laugh about the whole incident.

"Try not to use all the energy in your brain for pranks. We might need it in the Tournament. _Might_ ," Odori playfully smirked at Friesian. The dullahan did not reply, just returned her words with a quick dirty look.

Seeing this, Faen rolled his eyes in annoyance of the two's behaviour. The pair were still at odds with each other over their ridiculous disagreement about cars and motorbikes. It was frustrating to the elf that he had to deal with their arguing whilst on a Hunt, an occasion where they needed to combine their efforts and work as a team.

The fact Friesian and Odori were acting this way in front of others made it worse.

Before Faen could reprimand the two for behaving in the presence of AMRT, the flap of great wings interrupted the group's conversation. Moments later, Reuel returned to them, though there appeared to be something off with the angel. He appeared to have rushed back to them as swiftly as he could, but it was Reuel's eyes that alerted Faen of the angel's trouble. For beneath his helmet, a disturbed aspect could be seen in Reuel's normally warm gaze that had never been there before. Had something happened?

"Reuel? What is the matter?" Monica inquired of her teammate, having perhaps seen what Faen saw in Reuel's eyes. The angel and his armour bore no physical signs of injury or harm, so what exactly happened to him while he was scouting ahead?

No response immediately came from the angel, he only stood before them, both hands clasped tight on the guard of his greatsword, which he planted into the soil. Out of concern for him, the two teams crowded around Reuel, while giving him enough space to breath and watch out for danger. It took a moment, and a small exercise of patience on the group's part, before Reuel spoke to them again.

"I... found the airships and a few Grimm. They are in a clearing a little ways ahead, just keep going and you'll reach them." Reuel gave a half-hearted wave of his hand to the direction the two teams had been walking as he spoke. That was the good news, no doubt something bad was bound to follow shortly after.

It was simply how fate worked.

"But there is something there. Right?" Amarantha questioned her teammate.

"Yes. Follow me, and you'll understand. Beware, it... it is an ungodly sight." With those dour words, Reuel pulled his greatsword free and began to head where the airships apparently were.

Confused by Reuel's cryptic answer, the group decided to follow Reuel to get to the bottom of what had affected him this way.

Walking in silence, the members of FFOG and AMRT made their way to their intended destination. As they drew closer, Faen started to pick up a foul odour in the air. At first it was strange, the further they walked the smell gradually turned from strange to foul. So increasingly terrible was this unknown smell, Faen gagged at it when it started to overpower him. His mask doing little to guard his nose from this terrible scent.

Others with heightened senses of smell were similarly affected, as Grey, someone with a better nose than him, let out several gagging coughs a while before he caught a whiff of his disturbing odour. Those not blessed, or cursed in this instance, with superior senses were confused by the reactions of Faen, Grey, Odori, and even Amarantha.

They had gone quite some distance into the woods, and at last Faen caught sight of what appeared to be the airships they were looking for. The dark, familiar shapes of the Grimm could be seen moving in a clearing ahead of them. Beowolf type Grimm to be exact.

Yet there was something else. S _omethings_ else.

On the floor were several motionless objects that lay flat on the ground. Faen could not make out what exactly these still objects were, yet a sense of foreboding came over the elf the longer he tried to looked on them. Furthermore, there were more objects, larger than those on the ground, arrayed near the airships. As much as he was starting to not want to, Faen would have to get closer to find answers.

"Those are the Grimm you saw?" Amarantha questioned her angelic teammate, who hummed and nodded his helmed head.

"Yes, though there were eight of them when I first saw them from afar." Reuel answered his team leader. Where the missing pair could be, they could only speculate. Faen guessed that they sensed Reuel, but were unable to correctly guess where he was, and struck out in different directions.

Still, simple Beowolves could not have disturbed the angel. There was something else here.

"They will be of little concern," Faen grunted as he continued to spy on the Beowolves as the group drew closer. The Grimm stopped what they were doing and perked up, it appeared that the creatures sensed their approach. Beowolves would be easy kills, and he was gerowing tired of this Hunt, so he delegated the task to his teammates. "Kill them quickly. The sooner we're gone, the sooner we can escape this... odour."

Complying with Faen's order, the other members of FFOG and the last three letters of AMRT stepped in front of their leaders so they carry it out.

The Beowolves had locked onto where the group of Beacon students were. In their typical, mindless ways the six Beowolves charged at the students. Not wasting time, the others quickly dispatched the Grimm. Two had been gunned down by Odori with her twin handguns, killing them quickly and efficiently with precise headshots. One was slain by Monica jamming the tip of Mediatrix's lance-form through its throat after launching herself forward with a Aura-enhanced burst of speed, though, she almost tripped and fell over. Tora shot a slug into the chests of two others. Meanwhile, the last was killed by Friesian casting a wave of flames with Tenebrous Mantle, burning the last Beowolf to death.

With all Beowolves slain, the group continued onwards to the airships. All the while keeping an eye open for the pack's missing pair. However, such caution took a backseat as soon as they saw what the Beowolves had been picking through before their arrival.

"Blood of the ancestors," Faen whispered to himself. Beside and behind him, the elf heard his comrades make similar exclamations as they too realised what they were looking at.

Laying still on the ground were around twenty bodies. Each one in a state of minimal decomposition, suggesting they had not lain here long, though that did not stop them from smelling horrible. These bodies were without a doubt the sources of stench that filled the air. Looking to the items he had not been able to identify early, Faen saw that they were metal cages that had been broken open, and several large crates that came to his stomach in regards to height.

Airships, dead bodies, broken cages, and crates. Just what had they gotten themselves into?

"What have we found?" Faen heard Odori whisper under her breath.

"Get searching! Try to find out what was going on here," Faen nearly said in a weaker voice than he intended. A sharp feeling of nausea stabbing him in his gut as he looked on the bodies.

Back in Vigil, his Mentor tried to instill in Faen a kind of... resilience towards the sight of death. Teaching the elf to 'harden his heart' when encountering dead bodies, so to make him a better warrior. While Faen had earnestly taken to those lessons, he guessed they had not completely soaked in if he was feeling this way right now.

The students cautiously started picking their way through the scene, making sure not to touch the bodies out of fear of disease or other maladies they might catch. What was it the demi-humans were searching for? They had no clue. Just anything that could provide a clue as to why this grisly scene had happened would suffice. The sooner they found something, the sooner they got away from this place.

Faen, not wishing to go anywhere near the corpses, went off to examine the cages and some of the crates. Quickly walking up to and inspecting the nearest cage, Faen believed it to be of sturdy make, and it appeared that three milimetre thick metal panels could be placed over the bars for additional reinforcement. Or even to hide what was trapped in the cages.

Speaking of being trapped in cages, it appeared that whatever creature/creatures was in this thing had scratched away at its prison and had finally broken out, if the broken and bent bars said anything. Whatever had been in these cages must have been strong to do all of this, or perhaps enough of them were trapped inside to break and bend the bars together. The question of whether what had broken out from the cages was dead, or still out here, was one that made Faen hold Gwaedh's grip even tighter.

Stepping past him, Reuel crouched and ran his armoured fingers over the countless scratches that marked the cage's metal base. Choosing to leave Reuel to examine the cages on his own, Faen moved on to check the crates. Reaching the closest one to him, he found it to be a standard storage crate that could be found in any warehouse on Remnant. These crates also bore no markings to signify where it could have come from, or what it contained.

A sharp click went off the side. Out of instinct, Faen turned and rose Gwaedh, but his fears were allayed when he saw it was simply Grey taking photos on her Scroll as evidence. A wise chose, however, Faen would have much preferred it if his werewolf friend alerted everyone beforehand.

Taking the moment to see what the others were up to, Faen saw that Tora and Amarantha had entered and were searching through one of the airships. Monica kept watch over the surrounding area, her weapon's machinegun-form deployed and ready to fire at the first sight of trouble. Odori stood nearby Monica, examining the bodies while also keeping them at a safe enough distance. Friesian, meanwhile, followed after the elf, Tenebrous Mantle ready as a bladed-whip in case anything were to happen.

Returning to what he was doing, Faen strode over to a crate, and started to pull it onto a upright position. Noticing what he was doing, Friesian joined him and helped turn the crate upright. After saying a quick thank you, Faen proceeded to pull the lid off of the crate, again with Friesian's assistance. What he and Friesian found inside made their jaws drop.

Weapons. The entire crate was full of them.

Moving over to another crate, the pair found it also filled with weapons. The first had contained blocky, grey pistols with minor red details. The second one had sub-machinguns that followed the same design ethos as the pistols. Reuel had moved on from the cages and had opened another crate, and found it filled to the brim with spears and single-edged swords. Five other crates were situated nearby, yet Faen saw little need to check if the first two were any indication of what they would find within.

The easily recognisable rattle of machinegun fire from Monica's weapon rang through the air, causing everyone present to jump to their feet and draw their weapons at the sound. Casting his eyes to Monica, Faen saw the bodies of three Beowolf bodies lying on the floor not far from them, the barrel of Mediatrix's gun-form smoking.

"Hah. Looks like the other Beowolves came back, and with a plus one, too." Friesian muttered to Faen as he returned his focus towards the crate of weapons the pair had been examining.

"Good work, Sister!" Faen called to Monica in congratulations and thanks. The young vampire turned her head and waved at him, then resumed keeping watch on their surroundings. Faen turned his mind back to figuring out what happened here, and, out of his own uncertanty, asked Friesian what he thought. "Any idea who these people might have been?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, boss." Friesian murmured back to him as he picked up one of the pistols and gingerly held it in her hand as if it were a used sock not cleaned for weeks. A flash of recognition darting across the eyes of his detached head. "But this... I'm sure of what this is. It's White Fang."

Faen instantly snapped his head to his dullahan teammate. Did he have some experience with the White Fang? For that was the impression Faen got from the way he spoke, and that previous look that dashed across Friesian's eyes. Well, there was only one way he could find out if that were true or not.

"The White Fang? The Faunus extremists? How could you know that?" Faen quietly asked Friesian. Casting a glance to the others, it appeared that no one else had heard them, though perhaps the other two members of FFOG had.

"Lunatics more like it. Feckin' lunatics," Friesian responded, his voice laced with a sense of disgust unfamiliar to the elf. "Seven years ago, there was this cornershop a short ways away from my home. One day, the owner refused to serve a faunus couple because... well, he was not all that fond of Faunus. If you get what I mean. Next morning, a bunch of masked White Fang goons turned up at the store, dragged the owner out and beat him until he was an inch away from death. Then they set his shop on fire."

Faen's eyes widened till they were the size of saucers. The elf was aware of the White Fang's increasingly notorious reputation, but since their operations in Avalon were rather infrequent, he paid little attention to what they did outside of the Enclave. What he add heard was nowhere near as violent as the tale Friesian had just told him. It appeared, however, that the dullahan was not done.

"Dad and a few others tried to stop them. One of them got shot in the thigh by the Fang, with a gun just like this, so they backed off. Lunatics ran before emergency services could get to the scene. Ever since, no one in my hometown's ever turned down a faunus." The dullahan finally finished his tale, dropping the gun back into the crate as if it scalded him to touch it. "Shop owner was rushed to the nearest hospital, and they were able to save him. Guy went on to hate Faunus more than ever after the incident, and expressed it loudly when he got drunk in the pub. Actually, he didn't need to be drunk to talk crap about Faunus, he did it whenever he had a chance. Then, a month after he was released from the hospital, poof. He disappeared."

A silence hung over both demi-humans as they stood before the crates. Friesian did not need to say more, for Faen could piece together what had happened on his own. The White Fang, hearing about the shop owner's attitude towards the Faunus, had kidnapped him. Just what they did to the shop owner once they had him, well, Faen decided to shift his thoughts away from that trail of thought.

For a brief instant, Faen thought to ask Friesian more on what happened. To clarify a few points that came into Faen's mind. That desire quickly passed, as one look at Friesian's expression was enough for the elf to know that such questions would be most unwise.

"Do you think these people were White Fang?" The elf pointed a thumb to the bodies.

"I don't know. They're not in the White Fang's uniform, and they _love_ that uniform of theirs. So, I'd hazard a guess that they could be a third party who produce and supply their weapons. The Kingdoms barely know where the Fang get half their stuff. But what about the cages?" The pair cast their eyes to the cages, a hundred possibilities running through their minds. If these people were a third party who supplied the White Fang as Friesian hypothesised, for what concievable reason did they have highly scratched cages?

What other dealings could they have that required such items? What creatures could they have contained?

Whatever the case, these people, be they White Fang or something else, were all dead. It was no concern of his what they had been doing all the way out here.

"Hey everyone! Notice something funny about these bodies?" Odori's voice called out to the others, drawing their attention to her. The kitsune was kneeling over a body, though not too close, and was actively waving away any fly that came near her. "They're Faunus, each and every one of them. See, faunus... faunus... faunus... faunus."

With each utterance of the word 'faunus', Odori pointed to body. Sure enough, upon careful inspection of the bodies, each one that Friesian pointed to possessed a animal trait. There was a male with the ears of a labrador. A female with the tail of a mouse. And another male whose skin resembled the scaley hide of a snake. Faen and Friesian looked to one another, the previous words they had shared ringing in their ears.

"Not these seven," another voice spoke up. Breaking the brief silence that dominated the scene.

It was Amarantha, and when they turned towards her, they saw her standing over seven other bodies. Each were as decomposed as the others present, yet, they were of shorter stature, and their dead skin possessed a greenish tinge. The had long pointed noses and ears, and arms that would fall to their knees. Their clothes were made of leather, small bits of metal that acted as armour, and wore an assortment of furs and pelts for decoration. While on their heads were tall, pointed hats and hoods.

"Goblins!" Faen spat as soon as he recognised the creatures, his voice filled with absolute revulsion.

Faen disliked Goblins, almost to the point of loathing. Goblins were pathetic in his eyes, not just for their diminutive size and frail bodies, but also because of their unrefined and vermin-like nature. A sentiment that he shared with most other Elves, if his parents were to be believed.

The dislike was mutual, and not unfounded. Goblins had been enslaved by the more dominant demi-race races for ages, and several ancient works of the Enclaves had been built with their cracked and bloody hands. The Elves partook in the slavery of Goblins, and, if the sources were to be believed, they had been among the harshest of the Goblins' oppressors. Though slavery in the Enclaves had been made illegal a century before the Great War, and the Goblins set free, many Goblins still held a burning grudge against their former slave masters.

The Goblins before the Beacon students, judging by their attire, were among those who forsook life in the Kingdoms and Enclaves. 'The Gobbo-Klai' as they styled themselves. The meaning of the name unknown to non-Goblins and those uneducated in their language. They were little better than bandits and scavengers who raided decent folk and even other bandits. Such a pathetic and benighted existence, knowing they existed only reaffirmed Faen's contempt for Goblin-kind.

"So they are," Grey nodded at his exclamation. While she was less harsh towards Goblin-kind, the werewolf distrusted them. "How about the airships?"

"Not much I can say. Bunch a crates like those in the cargohold, as well as another Faunus body. I reckon it'll be the same story in the other airship." Tora was quick to answer as he stood by the airship he had be searching. "Guns and other weapons were found in the crates I found. Them Faunus were probably unloading the crates or something before what happened took place."

Yes, they could have been unloading these weapons as Tora had said. Were they for some White Fang thugs who were meant to meet them here?

"Seems like they fought each other. The Faunus and Goblins," Odori pointed out. Sure enough, weapons ranging from swords to guns lay on the floor beside the corpses. Spent cartridges also littered the floor. "What exactly do you think they were fighting over?"

"Maybe the weapons in the crates? Then again, I hear this kind of Goblin need little reason to attack people. Darn buggers will attack anyone so long as they have the numbers to do so. The fighting might have probably brought the Grimm here," Friesian stepped in, voicing his own thoughts. Reasonable, but there was still something that confounded Faen.

"What of the Zotz? Could it be that their fighting attracted them?" Monica suggested to the others, almost as if she had been reading his mind.

No one said anything in response to Monica's theory, for they still had no clear idea of where the Zotz came from precisely. For a moment, Faen thought that perhaps the Faunus _brought_ the Zotz here in the cages. He quickly shook his head, as the idea was completely insane. One would have to be incredibly foolish to do such a thing, and while he thought many were fools, Faen was sure people could not be that foolish.

"Whatever the case, it is best we notify the Professor of what we found. Grey, would you please forward your pictures to him? Reuel, call the professor first, tell him what we found and warn him of the pictures he will receive from Grey." Amarantha commanded.

Grey immediately set about it, taking out her Scroll to send the photos she had taken to Professor Port. Meanwhile, Reuel followed his team leader's command and took out his Scroll to call the Professor. Following Amarantha's example, Faen ordered Odori to guard the crates, and Friesian to see what he could learn from the airships. As they carried out their orders, the elf watched the naga order Tora to keep watch, while she examined the crates in the airship for herself.

With nothing else to do, Faen stepped away from the group and joined Monica in her sentry duty. However he chose to stand at the other side of the clearing, away from the Faunus and Goblin corpses. A convenient way for him to put a small bit of distance between himself and the foul-smelling bodies. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone, of course.

It did little to diminish the stench wafting from the corpses, but at least he was not looking at them.

As he watched and waited, Faen told himself that the scene behind him was of little concern. That it did not matter to him what had occurred in this dreadful clearing. Yet, Faen found his mind lingering on it for some unknown reason. A part of Faen was telling him that there was something just not right in all of this. That he had to investigate further into what happened here.

 _'No. I'm just tired, and the recent stress is getting to me.'_ Faen firmly thought to himself as he quickly rubbed the area under his eyes with his free hand. So, Faen cast these thoughts to the deepest part of his mind, and shut them away there. Certain that he would not have to think on this ever again.

* * *

"Again, Ozpin, I must tell you what I have said five times over already. My agents have no concrete information on who is causing unrest in the Enclaves recently" Oberon the Faery King muttered in a low voice, shaking his antlered head as he spoke.

Oberon was sat in his private study, while Ozpin was sat at his desk again. Dozens of papers he probably should be looking through were lying ignored on it as he conversed with Oberon on his desk's computer monitor. Oberon had been the one to initiate the call this time, initially hoping for this to be a simple social call, but it became one business shortly after. The King of Avalon's mood turning increasingly sour the longer the two's chat lingered on the more clandestine matters.

"The... instigators behind the growing unrest are smarter than I had foreseen. My agents' attempts to even find evidence of their involvement are as fruitless as grasping sunlight with one's own hands. Meanwhile, our kin in the other Enclaves are faring little better." Oberon stopped to take a drink from a glass of clear liquid, before deciding to continue. "My agents in our sister Enclaves tell me there are those who are also 'stirring the pot,' as you Kingdomers say, among them as well."

The Headmaster sighed tiredly at hearing the news. He had heard rumours of this before their conversation, and feared that they were indeed true. Hearing Oberon confirm that the other Enclaves were being riled up as well made Ozpin's shoulders sag a little, and almost made him clench his teeth.

All of this was no doubt the work of the Enemy, there was no mistaking it. Ever since the Demi-Human Enclaves introduced themselves to rest of the world, Ozpin wondered what plans the Queen had for them. Sure she had made plans for the Enclaves, and had destroyed a couple since the Great War's end, but the Enemy ultimately made no significant moves on them. None as far as the Order was aware at least.

The Enemy had been biding their time, and were finally setting a plan into motion. What that plan was, Ozpin and the Order had no clear idea, in spite of all their efforts. All Ozpin and his allies could be certain of was that, whatever the Enemy's intentions for the Enclaves, they could only bode ill for the people of Remnant. Which was why they needed to be stopped.

"Do you at least have news on what have these troublemakers been doing to cause this unrest?" Ozpin now asked before taking a sip from his own mug.

"That I do have some information on. From what my agents can tell, they bring up past grudges between the many races of Demi-Humans that should have remained in our ancestors' graves. You already know of the Ogres and Centaurs, and their dispute over Selene. Now I hear someone is causing a rise in tensions between Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs. Not even the Angels of Solaria are safe from these demagogues." Oberon

This was bad. Unrest would cause negative emotions, and negative emotions would bring Grimm. While some may say otherwise, the Demi-Human Enclaves were crucial in several ways. Their loss would be terrible, and that was without taking the great loss of life into account. Not only would world trade be affected, but the CCT Network would be as well.

For in the greatest of Enclaves, a CCT Tower had been established not long after the system was introduced to the Kingdoms. It took quite some convincing, and another war was also started during the negotiations, but the Towers were built in the end. While those CCT Towers were not as vital as those in the Kingdoms, and their loss nowhere nearly as disruptive to the whole network. It would still weaken the people of Remnant's ability to communicate with one another if one or, gods forbid, several of the Enclaves' CCT Towers were destroyed.

This news also spoke of the Enemy's abilities. That they could infiltrate the Enclaves themselves was evidence of both their skill, and the possibility they were more than Pawns. If they had infiltrated the Enclaves in the first place, for Ozpin and others in The Order feared that these agitators were Demi-Humans from the Enclaves themselves.

"They are also spreading the idea of how we were better off without revealing ourselves to the world. That my grandfather was foolish to break our peoples' ancient pact of secrecy. Tch, the gall of these creatures," Oberon darkly snorted. Though he could not see it, Ozpin was sure Oberon had balled a bark-skin hand into a fist. The King of Avalon was proud of himself and his family, and he was no doubt angered that anyone would dare disparage his forefather.

"Is it possible these people are causing this disruption to hide their activities?" Ozpin inquired.

"Perhaps, but I assure you, we _will_ stop them before their labours bear fruit." Oberon confidently swore the Headmaster of Beacon. His irritable mood parting for a brief moment, before the Faery King fell back into it, though he was not as bad as before.

"Keep up with your attempts. With the Vytal Festival coming, we need the people of Remnant to be calm. The Demi-Humans of the Enclaves included." Ozpin dared not say it to Oberon, but he feared that the Enemy's plans were already bearing fruit. For was it possible that, instead of using the unrest as a smokescreen to hide their goals, the unrest was the ultimate goal?

They needed more information to determine whether or not his fears were warranted. Hopefully a little bird would turn up soon with some new information. It had been a while since he last checked in, yet Ozpin was confident that he was quite alright.

"Easier said than done, Ozpin. They are resourceful, and highly elusive. If only I had..." Oberon stopped talked, his jaw clenching as a memory played out in his mind. The Headmaster knew what, or more precisely who, the Faerie King wished he still had.

Before their untimely deaths, Oberon had two operatives who had proven themselves highly efficient in rooting out the hidden foes who lurked among the people. Because of their actions, some of the Enemy's plans for the Enclaves had been thwarted. They were good, too good in fact, for the Enemy soon marked them for death. While the Order could not tell what happened precisely, the two died together, fighting until the bitter end. Not surprising, given they were a married couple.

It was such a shame. Not only had the Order lost two of its best agents, but they lost good people, and they left behind a daughter who would likely never know her parents.

Now was not the time, however, for mourning. They had time to do that years ago.

Suddenly, Oberon turned his head away from Ozpin, and looked to somewhere offscreen. A woman's voice could be heard calling out to the Faerie King's name. The Headmaster of Beacon knew quite well who it was that had entered the King's

"It is nothing, dear. I am simply conversing with an old friend. Come, I am sure you would like to meet him," Oberon answered to this new participant in their conversation. Moment's later, the form of a woman with blonde-hair, fair skin, orange eyes, and wearing a spring green dress glided to Oberon's side.

Titania's appearance was more in line with the common appearance of Fairies. Possessing neither of her husband's more unique features. She appeared very much like a human woman, and would pass as such, if it were not for her pointed ears and the great monarch butterfly wings that sprouted from her back. Upon seeing it was Ozpin that Oberon had been talking to, Titania's face lit up, as did Ozpin's upon seeing her.

"Headmaster Ozpin! How glad I am to see you again. When did we last have a chance to share words with one another?" The Faery Queen

"Two years, one month, and forty-three days." Ozpin replied with a smile. He had a particular soft-spot for the Faery Queen of Avalon, and a friendship had developed between the two after first meeting one another at a midwinter ball held in Vale six years ago. As the Headmaster of Beacon, and the leader of a highly secret organisation, Ozpin did not have many opportunities to catch up with her. Titania had her own responsibilities as well, acting as a kind of diplomat for Avalon to the Kingdoms and other Enclaves.

"Haha, oh Ozpin. You and that ever impressive memory of yours," Titania laughed. As soon as she ceased laughing, her face fell slightly as she continued to speak. "While I would very much like to catch up you, I am afraid I must take my husband from you. He is needed."

"Of course. Our business was done, so I will not keep you. I sincerely hope we may speak with each other again, in greater length, and of more happier subjects." His words were meant for both Faeries, but that last part had been meant for Oberon specifically. He definitely meant his words, as more often than not, their conversations were short and of topics that quickly drained the joy in any conversation they had.

"I wish the same as well, Ozpin. Farewell for now." With that, Oberon ended the call, departing for whatever errand or matter that so needed his attention. Leaving Ozpin to sit silently alone in his office.

Alone. Oh so terribly alone.

* * *

Elsewhere, hidden from prying eyes, a congregation of people numbering well over a hundred had gathered together in a great hall. As a rule, all in attendance wore heavy black robes and hoods to obscure their identities.

The hall itself was incredibly large, able to fit hundreds of people at once within its dimly lit confines. Hanging on the walls were tall banners that depicted a black sun upon a pale-white field. At the very end of the hall was a stage, and an altar made of a pitch black stone. A great gate, its large double-doors cast out of iron, stood at the very back of the stage, granting access to rooms not spoken of by any of the ordinary members of the gathering.

Without warning, the great doors at the stage swung open, and a tall man wearing robes embroidered with silver, and wearing a white clay mask over his face strode out from the darkness past the gate. The back of his robes had a vast bulge, as if it were hiding some great deformity or something else beneath it. All eyes immediately turned to this man, many bowing their heads out of respect to him as he took his place on the stage, others beating their chest once with their fists.

"Prostrate yourselves before the Goddess's herald, and hear her voice!" The leader loudly declared to all within the hall. The answer to his words coming almost immediately.

For as one, all within the gathering felt to the floor on all knees. A great many of the hooded people bowed forward so their faces were almost pressed against the cold, stone floor. Others simply bowed their heads so their face was parallel to the floor. Only the leader did not collapse in reverence as their goddess's 'herald' passed the great, iron double-doors.

Flanked by hooded guards carrying tall, wicked halberds, and whose mouths were sown shut, was a terrifying creature. The creature floated in the air like a jellyfish through water. Its black and red spherical body, which was as large as a human head, was covered in white boney plates. Sprouting from the bottom of its body were several red tendrils that ended in sharp spikes as long as an adult human's hand.

The leader of the gathering stepped to the side, slightly bowing his head in veneration to the creature as it floated to the centre of the stage.

 _"My beloved children... Your devotion pleases me."_ A female voice, one possessed of a coldness that sent shivered down all who heard it, spoke through the creature.

All throughout the gathering, those in attendance trembled in awe as they heard the voice come forth from the 'herald'. She, the Goddess, was speaking to _them_. Acknowledging _them_. It was too much for many to bear, and several began to weep and whimper in their bowed positions.

 _"The time of the anointed day draws close. Throughout Remnant, your fellow children prepare for it, as shall you."_ The hearts of the gathering started to race at the mentioned of the 'anointed day'. It was a day long in the coming. _"The deluded and misled masses will be enlightened, and you shall be the messengers of my truth. By Autumn's end, Ozpin, and all the heretics who stand with him, shall fall!"_

* * *

 **Again, sorry that the fight scene was not lengthy. Originally thought of making FFOG and AMRT fight a Hydra or Manticore Grimm, but like I said, I did not feel in the right mind to write something like that. Perhaps some other chapter in the future.**

 **The next chapter will get into the end of Volume 1.**

 **Now for the references.**

 **Amarantha: The trishula is a symbol often used in Hinduism and Buddhism, often in the hands of the Hindu god Shiva. The name for her weapon, Enlightenment, is essentially the ultimate goal of Buddhists, where they stop reincarnating because they have discovered the meaning of life.**

 **Monica: The idea for Monica's lance-mace-machinegun came to me after seeing the gunlance of Monster Hunter: World. I first wrote this with it being her only weapon, but, after considering the impracticality of it in close-quarters, I gave it a third form, a mace. The mace resembling a 'aspergillum', means it looks like a small metal rod with a ball at the top used to splash drops of Holy Water on people in Roman Catholic services. Its name, 'Mediatrix,' is a term used in a few Christian denominations for the intercessory role the Virgin Mary plays in Christian tradition.**

 **Reuel: The name of Reuel's greatsword, Ascalon, is the name of the sword/spear of St George. I chose it to be a sword as a reference to Archangel Michael, who is often depicted as a warrior angel wielding a sword. Reuel's combat outfit, imagine it to look like a less complex version of the armour of Imperius, the Archangel of Valour from the Diablo series. Don't worry, I do not plan for Reuel to be a dick like Imperius.**

 **Tora: Demon Gate is a reference to Onmyodo, traditional Japanese cosmology, as well as Chinese Taoism. It is a translation of _kimon_ , the name for the northeasternly direction, which is considered unlucky as evil spirits are said to pass through it. Primarily chose the name because how cool it sounds. Oni are commonly depicted wielded iron kanabo clubs, so it was a natural decision, while it being able to solid metal slugs was chosen because that too sounded cool.**

 **Zotz: Inspired from Camazotz, a Mayan bat god. Name means "death-bat", as far as I'm aware.**

 **I'll see you all when I next see you.**


	13. A Delivery and a Disappearance

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone, I hope you are doing alright.**

 **There is not much I have to say here, except for that this fanfiction will be a year old by the Friday after Christmas. I never really imagined that this fanfiction would last this long, and I honestly hope I can make it last longer. We will just have to see.**

 **That should be all I have to say in the initial Author's Note, so I will just leave you to read the chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **A Delivery and a Disappearance**

 _"_ Abaddon _, report."_ A woman's commanding voice spoke through the spherical head of a Seer Grimm.

The person the woman was talking to lazily lounged before a lit fireplace on an armchair of the finest Mistrali leather money could buy, a fireplace being the only source of light within the darkened room the seated individual and Grimm occupied. The heavy curtains of the room's windows were closed shut, both to deepen the darkness and hide the Seer Grimm from any prying eyes. It would, after all, be quite counter-productive if someone as important as the seated man were seen with it.

'Abaddon' was not his given name, but it was the name he had chosen for himself. It was the name that his true superiors and followers would refer to him as when in private conversation with one another. Such as the one he was right now.

Of the woman he was speaking to, well, it was sacrilege to utter her name for he was unworthy of the right to call her that. In spite how he had served the woman loyally for all these long years. As a result, he and his followers spoke of her only as 'The Goddess' or 'Mistress.'

"All things continue apace, Mistress. We will be ready by the time of the Vytal Festival," _Abaddon_ , the seated man, earnestly replied to the woman on the other side of the Seer Grimm. "My disciples sow the seeds of disorder amongst Avalon's people, and all the Order can do is chase after our shadows."

Honestly, _Abaddon_ had overestimated how hard it would take to nurture hatred and anger among the various people's of Avalon. It was all too easy for his disciples to find ears willing to listen to them. Many in Avalon were all too proud for their own good, and all had special buttons that his disciples could push to easily rile them up.

Ogres and Centaurs were fighting over their ridiculous claims on some town. Goblins were being reminded of the persecution and many wrongs they had been made to endure for centuries, such as how the Halflings of all creatures drove the Goblins from their rich homelands and claimed it for their own. Dryads who had been evicted from their woodland homes to make way for the growing urban jungle or various industries had also been swayed by his disciples, despite their typically shy nature.

Others included Vampires who sought the return of Avalon's Midnight Principality, a nation ruled by Vampires prior to Avalon's third and most recent reunification as an Encalve. There were Orcs who had grown resentful with their ancestors' treatment as slave and cannon fodder in the past, and desired retribution for it. Mermaids angered by illegal fishing and dumping of hazardous materials in their waters. And bitter members of the various Were-Beast races, from Werewolves to Weretigers, who could not find work because of people's fear of their unique illness.

Nevertheless, there were a great many from even those who would not be moved by his disciples' words, and refused to give into any provocation that was thrown their way.

No matter, they too would fall all the same.

 _"Very good, however, I have heard that King Oberon has operatives on the field once again. That they endeavour to undermine our efforts on Avalon."_ The mention of King Oberon and his operatives from the Mistress made _Abaddon_ scowl at being reminded of their accursed existence.

"King Oberon and the Order are steadily becoming a nuisance her in Avalon," _Abaddon_ admitted to his mistress. "Though he has found nothing so far, his agents persistently dog my disciples throughout all of Avalon, just as they had before."

The Order, heretics opposed to the Mistress and her grand designs for all Remnant. For years _Abaddon_ and his disciples had to contend with them and their puppets, King Oberon and his line, in a secret war that began _long_ before the rest of the world knew of the existence of demi-humans. The fate of their secret war changing with each year that passed, both sides coming close to winning the war in Avalon on numerous occasions.

Years ago, seventeen to be precise, two of Oberon's lead operatives almost came close to uncovering the truth about himself and the plans his mistress had set for Avalon. If they learnt more, they would have crippled his Mistress's designs for this Encalve for years. It had not been a close thing, but _Abaddon_ was able to remove those pesky threats before they were able to ruin everything he had worked so long to create. Five of his own best agents tracked these operatives down and were able to kill them, though it cost the lives of all but one of them.

The agents that served the Faery King now were nowhere nearly as efficient as those two. But there were many of them, and their actions were proving to be annoying to _Abaddon_ and his disciples. Like bloodhounds, these agents would rush like dogs to any corner of Avalon if they caught even a single whiff of Abaddon's disciples in the area.

They, like Oberon's previous agents, needed to be taken care of.

 _"That is most concerning,"_ the woman calmly stated. _"How much of a risk does Oberon's activity pose to the plan? I assume you have a plan in place to deal with these new operatives."_

"It will not compromise Vale or anywhere else, I assure you. Yet, if we allow him to, Oberon may jeopardise all that we have worked hard for in Avalon. The solution to this problem does not lie in eliminating his agents, not like it did seventeen years ago. I propose a far more... direct method of removing the Faery King from the chessboard," _Abaddon_ suggested to his mistress, rousing her interest.

What he had planned would be the most dangerous undertaking _Abaddon_ would order, as well as the most important of all. There would be no way of hiding what he had planned to do from the general public, or disguising it as some unfortunate mishap as was the norm in his Mistress's war with the Order. But that was actually the point of it all.

 _"Go on," Abaddon's_ superior motioned for him to proceed with what he had to say.

"The Avaloni Parliament is gathering in a few days, with Oberon in attendance. I have sown rumours that Oberon wishes to see Avalon open up to outlanders more, in that he wishes to allow outlanders into the heartlands. They are not true, but, it has not gone well among the isolationists." The Mistress raised a brow as he laid out the most basic elements of his plan to her. "What I have planned will be impossible for the Order to hide, and will create even more disorder in Avalon, and perhaps the world even. I swear this method can prove useful to all of our goals."

The woman on the other side of the Seer Grimm contemplated on what he had said for a moment, having no doubt figured out what it was that he was planning for the King of Avalon. Five seconds rolled by, and the Mistress ceased her rumination and nodded ever so slightly to him. She approved, and how glad he was that she had.

" _Tell me more of this plan of yours,"_ the Mistress encouragingly said to him with a gesture of her hand. _"Do you require any resources that are unavailable on Avalon?"_

"Ahahaha! That will be unnecessary, Mistress," _Abaddon_ sinisterly laughed, "for all I need is a gun and someone willing to pull its trigger."

* * *

"Gah! Feck!" The head of the dullahan member of Team FFOG, Friesian, grunted as he watched his body be thrown to the ground for the seventh time in a row.

"Grey 7, Friesian 0." Faen announced from behind his book, not even bothering to look up from it and watch the two's wrestling match. The two had placed him in charge of keeping the score, even though he was not one bit interested in actually watching them wrestle with each other. Still, he kept track, all he needed to do was to listen for the frustrated cry of the loser.

It was actually a bit entertaining to hear.

"Hah! I win again. What was that about seven being a lucky number?" Grey smugly gloated over her partner. Once she was done, Grey helped Friesian back onto his feet.

"You started before I was properly ready. And your fur tickles y'know?" The dullahan said as he quickly dusted his trousers, making another weak excuse for his defeat at Grey's hands. The last one being an itch that started to badly irritate him distracted him, allowing Grey to get the upper hand and beat him. Once the dullahan recovered, he reassumed a wrestling stance, challenging Grey for a eighth time. "Let's try it again. I'm totally winning this time!"

"Whatever you say." The werewolf said with a confident grin as the two grasped each other's forearms and attempted, for the eighth time, to send the other to the ground. Faen rolled his eyes at them, and continued reading his book.

Grey had challenged him and Odori to wrestle with her, but the both of them declined her offer. Faen because he had wrestled with Grey enough to last a lifetime, and did not wish to make a fool of himself in front of everyone else. His kitsune teammate turned down Grey's offer out of disinterest. Once the werewolf and dullahan began struggling with one another, she did a one-eighty and watched them, finding it highly entertaining even.

In the back of his mind, Faen momentarily wondered if that enjoyment was derived from her alleged sadistic tendencies. He could not tell, and the elf sincerely hoped it was not so.

Friesian was the only person bold enough to take up Grey's offer, and had been made to pay for it seven times. An eighth time would come if Friesian's luck continued on like this.

Right now, FFOG was in their dorm, spending some quality 'team-time' together. It was the Friday afternoon, and they would have had a class with Professor Goodwitch right about now, had she not suddenly fallen ill this morning. The students were given no specifics, but a rumour had somehow begun to spread claiming that she had accidentally eaten something made of _very_ out-of-date ingredients. No one dared to break into the professor's quarters to see if it were true, the last person who tried was apparently still having nightmares about the experience to this day.

Why such an idea had sprung up amidst the students was likely indicative of something or other.

Professor Taupe, who would normally take over Professor Goodwitch's class if she was not in, was unavailable. Word was that she had been dispatched to help a few other Huntsmen eliminate a Hecatoncheires, a particularly fearsome and revolting Grimm species that possessed a hundred arms and fifty heads. Such a thing could not be allowed anywhere near civilised locations, for the destruction one alone could do was unthinkable, so everyone understood why she had to prioritise it over them.

Without a class to attend, the students decided to take advantage of this unexpected free-time that just landed on their laps. Headmaster Ozpin even encouraged them to do what they so wished, as it was coincidentally the Friday before the Semester break. That meant no classes for two whole weeks.

A golden opportunity to do all kinds of things.

The more responsible and studious Beacon students used this free time to finish up what outstanding classwork they had, or by sparring with each other as they normally would have. Others said to hell with that, and decided to go out and enjoy themselves instead.

RWBY had gone out to Vale, their reason being to investigate a rumour that the students from Shade Academy were arriving today. They asked FFOG if they wished to join them, but the demi-humans decided to stay in Beacon for reasons that were their own. JNPR, meanwhile, were busy training Jaune for his impeding test. It was not long now, so Pyrrha had stepped up her efforts to prepare Jaune, and had even enlisted Nora and Ren to help out. Their efforts were achieving something, for Faen found he had to put more effort in his spars with Jaune, and almost lost their last one.

Who knows, maybe Jaune would pass his coming exam.

FFOG's fellow demi-humans in AMRT were also staying in Beacon, though, Faen had no idea where they were right now. He guessed AMRT were either practising their fighting skills, or just leisurely enjoying themselves like a great many others were doing. Whatever they had chosen to do, the elf genuinely hoped they were okay.

After spending a few minutes hearing only Grey and Friesian's grunts as they tried to throw the other to the ground, as well as Odori's words of encouragement, a victor emerged once more. That victor was Friesian, surprisingly enough. After losing seven times in a row, the dullahan wasted no time in celebrating his victory.

"Hahahaha, yeah baby yeah!" Friesian yelled aloud in triumph. Hearing this, Faen decided to look up from his book, and his facial expression turned to one of utter bewilderment as he saw Friesian perform a strange sort of dance as part of his celebration. The elf guessed he was dancing, for to him, Friesian looked like he was trying to imitate an insane chicken. Glancing to Odori, Faen and the kitsune's eyes met the both of them baffled by Friesian's truly bemusing dance.

Ultimately, Faen chose to say nothing and let the dullahan be. For Friesian had won a sort of well-earned victory, so it was best to rain on his parade, and let the guy enjoy himself for a bit.

"Fine, you win! But only because I was tired after sending your ass to the floor seven times in a row." Grey said in a smile, acknowledging her defeat and taking it in good stride if he was to be honest. Getting back onto her feet, she then turned to Faen and said to him. "So, you gonna tell me why we're staying in our stuffy dorm, when we could be outside? Walking in the sun? Breathing fresh air? Eating smoking hot food?"

"Like we said before, Faen's got a delivery due any minute now, and he wants us to be here with him when he gets it." Odori answered for Faen as she lounged on her bed. With Grey and Friesian done wrestling with each other, she seemed almost bored, and had taken out a manga comic from out of her bedside table to satiate that boredom.

Yes, as Odori had said, Faen was indeed expecting a delivery, the one his parents had spoken of when he called them prior to the Zotz Extermination mission. He still had no idea what it might be, though. The question of what his delivery was aside, there was something he needed to correct about Odori's prior statement. Something he had intentionally chosen to not make clear to them just yet. He just required the right moment to reveal it to his teammates.

"Yeah, but we don't _all_ need to be here. Right? Could you not wait for it to arrive, while letting us do our own thing outside the dorm, then message us when it finally did?" Grey continued on with her questions. His best friend was indeed quite correct in that he could have let his teammates leave their dorm, whereas he could stay behind and wait for his delivery. Although, where was the amusement in that?

This time around, Faen finally decided to set his book down, and correct the misunderstanding the rest of his team appeared to be operating under. It had been slightly amusing to keep them here, however, not as much as he had hoped it would. Their reactions would decide whether or not the whole thing was worth it. Grey's in particular would be of great interest for the elf to see.

"Open the window if you want fresh air. And I never once said we _all_ needed to stay in the dorm. I just said I had a delivery coming, and wished to stay here to receive it. You all misheard me and decided to stay in here." The reaction to his words was instantaneous, as the entire dorm fell silent. Just as he had desired.

Simply reading his book in silence as he waited for his delivery would not be satisfactory to him, in spite of how it would normally have. Seeing an opportunity to mischeviously screw with his teammates, Faen decided to go ahead with the idea. Not out of malice or any serious reason, he just wanted to screw with the others for his own amusement. Be that as it may, the elf had remembered an instance where Grey tricked him into waiting at their classroom in Vigil for an hour, despite there being no lessons to attend, so this was kind of payback for that trick from years ago.

"You didn't think to tell us earlier?" Friesian indignantly asked Faen, ending the silence. His reaction was understandable, for if Faen had told them this earlier, the dullahan would not have had his ass handed to him seven times in a row by Grey.

"It did not even cross my mind," Faen replied with a quick, entertained chuckle as he took up his book again, and continued reading his book.

"Ugh. Alright then, I'm gonna head on out and see what the others are doing." Grey shrugged as she pulled on her jacket and started to walk to the door.

"Me too," Friesian sighed as he put on his black leather jacket and scarf, and followed after Grey. "I'm going to also see what the cafeteria will be serving for supper. I feel like having some fish and chips later."

"Good idea," Grey commented, a sudden surge of enthusiasm in her voice at the mention of 'supper.'

With that, the two left the dorm to pursue whatever they so wished, which was fine with Faen. Once they were gone, it was now only Faen and Odori left in the dorm. The kitsune did not say a single word at first, seeming to be preoccupied with the manga comic she held in her hands, if the delighted chuckles from her side of the dorm were anything to go by. Shortly after their teammates' departure from the room, Odori set her manga dow, looked at him curiously, then spoke.

"So... what is that book you are reading?" Odori inquired, eyeing the cover of Faen's book from her side of the room. A part of Faen suspected that she had been waiting for an opportunity to do so, and now that they were alone, it appeared this was the opportunity she may have been waiting for.

"Elven culture. My parents want me to learn more about it, and the delivery may be something related to that wish, so I thought I'd brush up on what I know." The book itself did not go into great detail about every facet of his people's ways, only providing enough information for one to understand the how's and why's. The meditations his parents suggested for him had an entire chapter dedicated to them, but, as with the other occasion where he had a chance to learn them; he was not too bothered with actually going ahead with the idea.

"Really? I thought you knew everything about your own people. Those rituals you keep doing made it look like you did," Odori admitted to him as she put her comic back into her bedside table. Faen did not answer her, but he guessed that she had not been wrong to make such assumptions, for he did openly practise several rituals almost exclusively performed by Elves. Still, if anyone really knew Elves, they would know that what rites he observed were but a single pebble from a whole beach of them.

Odori, having apparently taken a serious interest in his book and its contents, decided to walk up and sit beside the elf on his bed. Faen was annoyed the kitsune had not asked whether she could sit beside him, but what could he do? He was not so petty or childish that he would start bawling like an infant over such a small matter.

The kitsune leaned close to him, to the point that their shoulders almost touched each other, and eyed the pages he was currently on. She narrowed her eyes when she realised that, as with 'The Red Prince' book, the entire book was written purely in Elven. Deciding to save the both of them time, and her breath, Faen went ahead and told his partner the details of the open pages before them.

"This page is on the High Houses of our Elven cities," Faen explained as he placed a finger on the Elven characters spelling out 'High Houses' at the top of the left page. He would have said more, but Odori went ahead and interrupted him.

"'High Houses.'" Odori repeated after him as she mused and mulled over the words for a moment, like someone tasting wine. "If you don't mind my asking, what are they? They sounded like some sort of nobility to me."

"The High Houses _are_ nobles. They have helped governed the Elven cities for centuries, with all other Elf families being subservient to all, but particularly loyal to one. They are many; there's House Singollo, House Telperion, House Ninquelótë, House Namarcil, and House Luinil. Just to name a few." As he listed off the names of the High Houses, Faen tapped a finger on their respective sigils on the book's page. First was an elf wearing a grey cloak, a silver tree embracing a white diamond in its branches, three white five-petaled flowers forming a triangle, a hand grasping a black flaming sword, and a blue sixteen-pointed star with a maroon heart at its centre.

There were other and far more grandiose designs, but these were the ones he was most familiar with.

Glancing over to Odori, he saw the kitsune wore a highly intrigued look on her face, and appeared to hang onto his every word. His teammate appeared especially fascinated with the fine artistry of the High House sigils. Knowing that his teammate was some who was artistically inclined, Faen supposed Odori must have been taken in by the myriad House designs.

"So your people are still ruled by a class of aristocrats? I cannot imagine how such a system can still function today," Odori was quick to comment on the High Houses. Sure much of the world's nations had shifted their governmental systems into democracies, outliers who maintained the old ways existed, plenty of them being among the Enclaves. Regardless, it was ironic that Odori of all people would question the structure the Elven cities ran themselves, something the elf was resolved to point out to her.

"You're one to talk."

"Excuse me?" The kitsune responded, looking ready to quarrel with him. Not wishing to bicker with his teammate, Faen laid out his point of view to her.

"Is Shangri-La not run by a gathering of pseudo-nobles? I mean, sure you overthrew the ruling imperial dynasty, but did you not replace them with a council whose members are chosen hereditarily, and all chosen are from the richest families of Shangri-La?" His teammate opened her mouth to argue against Faen; however, she quickly shut it and returned her gaze to the pages of the book. Realising he had spoken the truth.

After a few seconds of silence, the elf saw Odori's brow scrunch up in what he assumed was confusion. What was it now?

"Is this Elven? I don't recognise this script," Odori questioned the elf, pointing a finger towards the elegent characters that were under each High House sigil. These characters bore some resemblance to the Elven characters Odori had seen before, but they were ultimately different and appeared more complex than the script that the two were accustomed to seeing. Still, while Odori could not recognise these Elven characters, Faen most certainly did.

"The High Houses' names are in High Elven, an older Elven dialect usually spoken by the Highborne and reserved for certain Elven ceremonies. These translate to House Greycloak, House Silvertree, House Whiteblossom, House Flamesword, and House Bluestar." Again, as Faen listed off the names, his finger tapped on the sigils he pointed to earlier in order of the names he translated. "I know the basics, but not enough to hold a conversation with someone fluent in them."

"You Elves have such... imaginative names." Odori remarked, appearing amused by the translations he had given for the names of those High Houses. She was not alone, as Faen himself could not help but shake his head at some of the names these High Houses had chosen for themselves. Some sounded as if they were made by some edgy teenager; such as House Vipersong or House Darkeater, or were just plain ridiculous. For example; there was House Moleskin and House Bluetit.

Seriously, just who was in charge of naming some of these High Houses? Faen would very much like to meet them, and either shake their hand or punch them in the face. He honestly could not decide which to do.

"Are _you_ a member of a High House?" The kitsune beside him now asked, causing Faen to fight back the instinct to let out a humouless laugh at the absurd question she had just posed. Him? A member of the High Houses? One of the Highborn?

No, such a thing was not his fate. Not that he would ever wish it to be in the first place.

"If I was, I probably wouldn't be here," Faen finally snorted in response to Odori's question. He was being honest, for if he was of the Highborn his parents would have probably sent him to some all-Elf boarding school where he would never meet Grey, and never be motivated to study in a Huntsman Academy. Whenever he thought of this possible difference in his fate, Faen found he was quite content with how things were right now.

"And you are happy with that?" The kitsune beside him inquired him, resulting in Faen responding to her with a silent, questioning look. Catching onto the fact she may have worded her sentence wrong, Odori made sure to elaborate on what she had meant. "What I mean is, are you happy with how your life has led you all the way here to Beacon? That you are with... us?"

She wanted to say something else just then, Faen was certain of it. As much as he wished to not care whatsoever about the potential words Odori wanted to say, not knowing bugged him in all actuality. Even so, asking would most likely result in his teammate denying it, meaning there would be little point in bothering to quiz her about it. Unless he was willing to perform a full on interrogation of the kitsune, which he felt no interest in going ahead with.

"Yes. I am happy to be with you and the others," Faen said, finally getting around to answering her question.

This seemed to satisfy Odori, as she hummed in approval of Faen's response. Again the urge to ask Odori what she was initially about to say arose inside of him, but he still continued to suppress it no matter of strong that urge became.

Nothing was said by the two for a brief while after that. Odori seemed to be both processing all the information he had revealed to him, and trying to find some other conversation topic for them to discuss. Her crimson-coloured eyes not leaving him no matter what. It actually started to become a bit disconcerting how long she was gazing at him, however the elf remained calm and made to resume his reading. Just as he was about to, the kitsune finally appeared to come up with something for the two to talk about. Something that was serious if the look on her face was anything to go by.

"I have another question, one I have been meaning to ask for a while now. Why did you-" Before Odori could finish her question, Faen hear some footsteps stop outside their dorm, and shortly after, the door opened, revealing Grey and Friesian had returned. Their fellows from Team AMRT were with them as well. Faen had not expected their return so early, nor did he anticipate AMRT being with them, but what was more unexpected was what they had brought into the dorm with them.

A large cardboard box that was almost as tall as his legs, and as wide as his arm was long. If that was indeed Faen's delivery, just what had his parents shipped to him?

"Is that my delivery?" Faen asked his two other teammates and the members of AMRT. He had made the other team aware of it through an off-hand remark during breakfast a couple days ago, and he was thankful that they were helping bring it in. The elf guessed that, alongside Friesian, he could start considering them friends soon.

"Yeah, we met a guy from Beacon's Support Staff at the dorm block's front door who was delivering stuff for students. He told us this was for you, so we took it off his hands and brought it up for ya." Grey grunted as she, Friesian, and Tora did their best to fit the box through the door. "Bumped into AMRT when we got outside. Thanks for helping guys!"

"Yes. We had just picked up our own delivery, when Friesian and Grey came down. Seeing its size, we thought it best if we helped them." Amarantha spoke up from behind the Grey, Friesian, and Tora who had finally fit the box into the dorm. Taking a moment to glance over to Monica, Faen saw the young nun carried her own box, a plastic cooler box marked with the symbols of the Sanguine Foundation, the government run organisation that supplied blood to vampires.

Three guesses what was inside it.

Returning his thoughts to his own delivery, Faen could not imagine that hauling the box up her was easy, even with the extra hands, as the only way up or down their dorm block was through a flight of stairs. Sighing, Faen supposed he should repay his fellow students somehow. Allowing them to see what was inside was a start, if they so wished.

"This is your delivery?" Odori questioned Faen as she stood up from his bed, looking like she could not believe the size of the box herself. "What could possibly be inside this thing?"

"'Handle with care' and 'This way up' is stamped on the box. What did they send you, glass cups?" Tora quipped, though no one made an attempt to sound amused by what he had said. Together Grey, Friesian, and Tora set the box on the ground in the middle of FFOG's dorm, before backing away a little to allow Faen to approach it himself.

Saying nothing, the elf strode forward and took a few seconds to examine the box, to see if there was any way he could discern what they had sent him from the packaging alone. Finding there was none; Faen shrugged and started to tear off the tape that stood between him and the contents within. When he finally opened the box's top, Faen pushed aside a ludicrous amount of packing paper; the elf was startled by what he found inside.

With meticulous care, Faen reached into the box and lifted a silvered steel helmet from the crate. It possessed a Y-shaped opening for the wearer's eyes and mouth, close cheek-guards, while at the sides there were slots for the wearer's ears to freely poke out of it. Other pieces of armour he took out from the box were a pair of shoulder guards, bracers, greaves, and skirt-like faulds made of scale mail to protect the wearer's thighs. Each item was made from the same material as the helm, coated in silver, and all were undoubtedly of Elven make.

"Armour?" Odori muttered as she eyed each piece while he laid them all on his bed. She, much like everyone else, dared not lay a finger on the armour out of what he assumed was respect for the new additions to his private property.

"Is there a letter?" Grey asked him, as she started to rummage through the box in case there was anything that he might have missed. Judging from the resigned look on her face, and that she took nothing out from the box, there was none to be found.

"None as far as I can see," Faen responded to her. He did his best not to show it, but the fact there was none bothered Faen greatly. Disappointed him even. A letter or even a quick note that could explain why exactly they sent him armour would have been very nice in the young elf's opinion. If would have probably contained words encouraging him to explore his Elven heritage, but something would have been better than nothing in this situation.

Possibly sensing this, Grey put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and proposed an idea to distract him from the lack of a letter.

"How about we help you into that armour? Who knows, it might make you look better." Seeing little else to do, Faen agreed with his best friend and started to put on his new armour. As much as he wanted to do it by himself, Faen's peers joined in and helped the elf put in on correct.

It took a bit, but FFOG and AMRT were finally able to place Faen's new armour onto him. Reuel proved a great help, as his experience with putting his own full suit of armour made the whole thing much easier. The bracers and greaves were fairly easy enough, while the shoulder guards took a bit longer. The faulds of scale mail could be fastened to his sword-belt, and could be worn over or under his coat. His new helmet was the easiest to put on, the ear slots proving useful as it did not restrict his long ears, and the y-shaped opening was also not too narrow that it impaired his eyesight nor did it expose too much of his face.

Once they were done, Faen stood before his fellow students, clad in his new armour. Now that he was wearing it, the elf found that the armour was much to his liking, and not only because it had a coating of silver over the metal plates. Silver being his favourite precious metal. The armour was not cumbersome, nor richly adorned with ostentatious ornamentation, and thanks be to the Dark Maiden it was not gold. He did not hate gold, Faen just wished for any armour he wore to not be covered in it as he saw other examples of Elven armour were.

He kind of wished there was a long plume on the back of the helmet, one made of horse-hair which fell down to the small of his back. As much as he wanted it, he knew could not get everything he wanted, and maybe a plume would be considered a bit too silly if Faen had to be honest. Ridiculous or not, the idea of a helmet plume had latched onto his mind and would linger there for quite some time.

Strangely enough, he found himself standing straighter as he wore his new armour, and felt a bit more conscious of how he appeared before the others. Normally he would dislike all the attention his team were giving him, but now, the elf felt an odd sensation of what he guessed to be pride well up in his chest. He wanted to not like this feeling, yet he could not bring himself to do so. Or at least, his efforts to do so were unsuccessful.

"Lookin' real fancy in that armour of yours boss," Friesian commented on Faen's appearance while also giving his team leader an approving thumbs up. The others had similar reactions to the sight of him wearing the newest additions to his outfit, raising that sense of pride inside of him to even further heights.

Grey wore a pleased look on her face, appearing to share Friesian's opinion of him. Reuel and Monica were in the same camp as Grey and Friesian, regarding him with a splash of admiration in their eyes as they took in his new appearance. Odori and Amarantha were carefully scrutinising him, their expressions unreadable and their view of him unknowable for now. Tora, well he looked like he was bored, and was about ready to smash a table if something of considerable excitement did not happen soon.

"I wonder how strong your armour is," Odori pondered aloud as she suddenly drew close and tapped a fingernail on the metal plate of his left shoulder guard. With luck, there would be no need to test its strength in the near future.

"You certainly cut a more... impressive image, I'll say. What do you think, Faen?" Amarantha spoke up, giving him a complimentary nod of the head. Anything else she thought about it, well, she was not showing and likely not going to tell him.

Faen did not answer immediately, performing a few stretches and other movements to test his ability to move around in it. From turning his head left and right, lightly stamping his feet on the floor, and even reaching his hands over his shoulders. To Faen's satisfaction, the armour did not hamper his movements much, with the exception being his faulds, but it was not too big a deal. Despite all of that, there was one prevailing thought that came to mind above all other thoughts and considerations.

"I think I can wear my mask under this helmet," the elf muttered loud enough for the others in the room to hear. His words were not what his companions expected. As a matter of fact, the members of FFOG and AMRT looked at him with either a blank expression or one that basically questioned whether he was being serious or not.

"Really?" Reuel asked Faen, a baffled look on his fair face.

"Your... mask of all things?" Monica said with a brief pause, also puzzled by the choice of words he had made.

"Of course that is the first thing that comes to your mind," Grey chuckled with a shake of her head. While his best friend found what he had said amusing, having grown used to him and the thing he had with his mask, everyone else just kept on looking at him oddly. Seeing the other's reaction, a thought came to mind, that perhaps he should have said something else.

No, absolutely not. What he had said was fine, it was everyone else that was at fault here.

He was about to remove his helmet, when Faen began to hear voices speaking in raised tones outside the door of FFOG's dorm. Becoming interesting in just what was going on, even more so as Faen began to feel those voices were familiar, the elf silently stepped past his fellow demi-humans and opened the door to see what exactly was going on. Behind Faen, the others followed after him to also figure out what was happening outside.

To his, and the others surprise, it was in fact their comrades in Team RWBY who were making all that noise. More specifically, it was Weiss and Blake who were disturbing the corridor's peaceful silence.

"For the eighth time, Weiss, the White Fang couldn't be the people behind those Dust robberies. What could they possibly want with all that Dust? What we overheard from those detectives were just baseless accusations." Blake argued, quickly arousing Faen's interest in whatever they were arguing about. Behind him, Faen could feel the others approach the doorway, most definitely to see what was going on with Ruby. He could imagine Weiss's mention of the notorious White Fang raising his fellow demi-human's eyebrows out of intrigue as it did his.

"And for the ninth time, Blake Belladonna, the White Fang could very well be the people behind the robberies. Why do you still insist on defending those despicable creatures?" Weiss responded to Blake, sticking firmly to her side of the argument.

Before Faen and the rest of FFOG and AMRT could listen in on any more of Blake and Weiss's argument, Ruby and Yang took notice of them, and seemed actually relieved to see the demi-humans. Honestly, he could not blame them. The white and black themed members of RWBY seemed to have been arguing for a while by the look and sound of things, and seeing familiar faces who were not was probably a great thing for the two sisters.

"Uh, hi guys. Great to see you guys are doing fine!" Yang loudly greeted FFOG and AMRT as they stepped out into the hall, the tone of her voice obviously meant to distract Weiss and Blake from each other. The blonde human's eyes lit up with curiosity upon noticing his new armour, and then an idea appeared to quickly cross her mind. "That's some nice armour you have there, Faen. Did you just get it?"

Guessing he should accommodate her, Faen removed his new helm and addressed Yang's question.

"We are fine. And yes, I did just receive this armour." While he spoke, Faen noticed that Ruby and Yang had intentionally placed themselves between their two other teammates. How very familiar.

"You wanna know how the first thing he said when he put it on?" Grey asked her friends in RWBY, a light smirk gracing her face as she spoke. Instantly causing Faen to snap his head towards the werewolf, and narrow his eyes in a threatening manner. She chose to ignore him, however, and went on to tell RWBY. "He wondered if he could wear his mask while wearing his helmet,"

RWBY's reaction to the news Grey had just conveyed to them was much the same as the one his teammates had earlier, with a few differences. Ruby and Weiss looked to be unsure as to how they were meant to take in what Grey had told them. Blake raised an eyebrow, but did little else, not even say a word. Yang looked as though she wanted to laugh, but that died down quickly enough

"Wow. That is just edgy," Yang sighed, after hearing what had been revealed to her and her teammates. The blonde's words caused Faen's eye to twitch out of annoyance, and he had half a mind to get back at her by seeing how she looked with all of her hair shorn off. Actually, that was a very, _very_ bad idea, and one that he should not have considered in the first place.

"Oh for the love of-" Faen started to groaned in frustration, expressing his indignation. Yet, he was interrupted by Amarantha before he could finish what he was about to say.

"Dare we ask how you four are?" The naga's question was met with unease from Ruby and Yang, while Weiss and Blake looked away from one another out of distaste and irritation.

"We're good," Yang replied quickly after Amarantha was done speaking, a forced smile plastered onto her face. She really did not want to give Weiss or Blake a chance to continue arguing with each other. How badly had the pair been arguing? "Oh! Ruby made a new friend today. Wanna tell them about her, little sis?"

"Oh, um, yeah! Absolutely! Her name is Penny, and she was... okay, I guess." There was something to Ruby's voice that suggested this 'Penny' person was not as 'okay' as Ruby claimed they were. Appearing to sense this, Ruby decided to tell them even more about 'Penny.' "I mean, she's great! Penny was just a little... weird. Great, but weird."

'Great, but weird.' That was a very stellar description of this person. Faen was half tempted to ask RWBY more about 'Penny', particularly on what they had done to warrant such a attitude. After considering the idea for a brief moment, the elf ultimately decided to not go ahead with it. The likelihood of him meeting this Penny person was not probable in his eyes, so what was the point in him learning more about Ruby's new friend?

While he no longer wished to discuss this 'Penny' person anymore, the others were not done just yet.

"You make it sound like this 'Penny' is stranger than us weirdoes," Tora remarked as he pointed to all the demi-humans gathered before FFOG's dorm. For a second Faen took offense at Tora's statement about them and started to formulate a counter argument against it, yet as he tried to, Faen found he was not able to create one. For if he really thought about it, the combined members of FFOG and AMRT were indeed an odd collection of people. Both because of their appearances and their personalities.

"Weird is just another word for interesting, in my book at least. I am sure she is an alright person, if you got to know Penny better. Who knows, maybe you might like to hang out with Penny even more in the future." Monica stepped in, providing a voice of positivity to this whole conversation.

"Uh, sure thing." Ruby responded to the vampire, sounding not at all excited about the whole idea of interacting with Penny even further than she already had. "Like I said, she's nice. I am also her first ever friend, or so I think from the way she acted, but I just don't know if I would like to spend more time with her is all."

Well, if that assumption of Penny being friendless was correct, then her developing into a strange person was understandable to Faen. Beng one who never had someone to call a true friend, until he finally caved into Grey's insistence to be his, Faen felt a twinge of sympathy tug at his chest. He was certain that he was fine, though. Those fairly lonesome years of his early childhood had most definitely not affected him in any way, shape, or form.

Anyone who dared think otherwise was a liar, and would receive a strong punch square in the face if Faen heard them say as much.

"Anyway, did you gals meet our competition from Shade? Did they even arrive?" Friesian asked the team of four young human girls. Taking the chance to divert the conversation topic away from Penny, to something else, such as what RWBY had sought out to do at Vale in the first place.

"We think we did," Yang stepped in and carried on speaking. "Penny said she was a contestant in the Tournament, but you wouldn't believe it if you saw her. We think we saw another one, but he could have been just a stowaway."

Well that was certainly disappointing. Just some weirdo girl who became friends with Ruby, and a monkey faunus they were unsure of was all they had gleamed from their trip? Faen had hoped RWBY would provide some insight on their peers from the other Academies, but hearing what Yang had to say was enough to make Faen frown.

Not that he was angry at Team RWBY or anything. The elf was not merely dissatisfied with RWBY's lack of information.

"That faunus looked very much like a vagrant or a criminal in my opinion," Weiss was heard muttering to herself. Blake appeared to have caught what the Schnee heiress had said, and, with an incensed looked on her face, proceeded to hotly question Weiss's opinion of this monkey faunus.

"Is that how you view every Faunus you meet?"

Weiss in turn looked faced Blake with an irate look, the both of them appearing about ready to resume their feuding right in front of FFOG, AMRT, and anyone else who had half a mind to pop their heads out their dorm. Honestly, Faen wondered, and feared to an extent, if the two would go so far as to come to blows with each other. It would be quite the sight, yet, it was something he did not want or need to see.

Turning his eyes to Ruby, the elf saw an anxious look on her face, likely because she did not know how to handle the situation between her two teammates and friends.

For his part, Faen had no interest in getting involved with what was going on between Blake and Weiss. On the other hand, in the event that something that something which would jeopardise not only RWBY but FFOG were to happen, he would deign to help RWBY out. RWBY were one of FFOG's closest allies in Beacon, so keeping on their good side and ensuring they were still a team was a wise decision in his opinion. Who knows when he might need them.

"Enough! Must the two of you argue like this?" Amarantha almost yelled. Breaking from the normally monotonous tone she spoke in, to one filled with annoyance. This sudden outburst caught Faen and the others off-guard, silencing them all as they had rarely heard the naga raise her voice or express as much emotion in it as she had just now. "We will be on our way. I hope you sort this... dispute in your own time, and by yourselves, as I for one wish not to be involved in it whatsoever. Good day FFOG. Good day RWBY."

No sooner was she done talking, Amarantha had slithered past Faen and started to make her way to team's dorm. So surprised were the rest of them, it took a couple seconds for everyone to snap out of it.

RWBY, the entire team now somewhat subdued by Amarantha's sudden scolding, said their goodbyes to FFOG and AMRT before they headed off to their own dorm. The four of them parting ways with the group of demi-humans in absolute silence. As they left though, Faen spied both Weiss and Blake glowering at each other. The elf could image the two were mentally promising the other that as soon as they returned to their dorm, their quarrel would begin anew.

It must really suck to be either Ruby or Yang right now.

AMRT followed their team leader sooner afterwards. Wishing FFOG well and expressing their hope to see them later at supper as they departed. FFOG stood outside the door of their dorm for a short while, watching as their compatriots disappeared into their dorms. Once they had all gone, Faen and his team quietly returned their own.

As Faen started to remove his armour, his mind went to RWBY. For their sake, he hoped the disagreement between their two arguing members was resolved quickly and quietly.

* * *

Time went on to pass as it normally did. Ever moving forward, completely uncaring of the affairs of the mortals who lived by its rules.

Two days had gone by since his armour was delivered to him, and in that time, Faen had taken to practising in it as often as possible. He had a full week to train in it, so he had plenty of time to polish his technique while wearing his new pieces of armour.

Exercising far more strenuous tests compared to those he had done in the dorm, Faen found that the new additions to his combat outfit were indeed nowhere as restrictive as he initially thought. Sure it felt uncomfortable to an extent, yet Faen believed that he could learn to live with it in time. To get to that point sooner than later, the elf needed to rigorously and regularly train in the new additions to his attire.

Much to his own relief, most if not all of Beacon had decided to not train today, so he had a sparring room all to himself. It was in this room that he practised various combat techniques and other ways of fighting that Faen would often use. From making rapid successive slashes with Gwaedh, to performing precise thrusts with Aglar whilst in its spear-form.

Faen's teammates had volunteered to spar with him, and had done so whenever they were available during the last two days. Now, however, they had opted to not help him in his training. Choosing to instead spend the day however they chose to. He permitted this, for after all the hard work they had put in during their stay in Beacon; to say they deserved time to spend the week enjoying themselves would be an understatement of epic proportions.

What they were doing right now, well, Faen had chosen to not bother keeping track of. Not something he would have normally done, but he was feeling somewhat carefree today, so he had gone ahead with the idea despite himself.

Having spent the entire morning training, Faen was about ready to take a break from all of the training he had put himself through before resuming later on. It was as Faen exercised a leaping attack where he stabbed Aglar into an opponent as he passed over them, that the elf became aware of another person entering the sparring room. The creak of the sparring room's door opening alerted the elf to the person's arrival. The second his feet had returned to the floor of the sparring room, the elf spun towards whomever it was that had arrived.

Any fears that it was someone he did not trust or despised was abated as soon as he recognised the small figure of Ruby Rose standing in front of him.

"Uh, hello Faen," the youngest student in Beacon greeted him with a quick wave of her hand.

"Ruby," Faen calmly greeted his fellow team leader as he spun Aglar in his hand, switched it back into its sword form, and promptly returned it to its scabbard. He was most intrigued by what it was that Ruby wanted from him, as her eyes betray her nervousness, and the elf sensed what he assumed to be trepidation in her voice.

If she was here to ask for advice on how to socialise with others, then she was out of luck. As Faen was the last person anyone should approach if they wanted on how to better act around people.

"You-You haven't seen Blake anywhere, have you?" Ruby asked him, her eyes darting to every spot in the sparring room, as if the bow-wearing girl was somewhere in her.

So it was Blake that this was all about. Faen had to stop himself from letting out a sigh, for he had guessed that they might have this conversation, but he had wished it would not occur. Or at least, they would have this discussion with the rest of his team present, so he could let _them_ do most of the talking for him. Faen had not guessed Ruby would seek him out on his own, except here they were.

Seeing no point in stalling, the elf decided to take the plunge and answer Ruby. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could get back to training.

"No. Why do you ask?" Faen quizzed the young human girl as he strode over to a bench and picked up a bottle of water. Ruby followed after him if her footsteps were anything to go by.

"J-Just... uh, because... she has something that I really need right now. Yeah, that's why I'm looking for her! Definitely not because Blake has suddenly disappeared or anything," Ruby awkwardly and hurriedly replied to the elf. Faen could not help but roll his eyes at the weak excuse Ruby had given him. There were times where the elf believed she was even worse than him when it came to socially interacting with others, and Faen was pretty bad as far as he himself was concerned.

"Ruby, we've _all_ noticed Blake has not been seen in Beacon for the last two days now." Faen sighed, deciding to just get straight to the point as he sat himself down on the bench. "Sit with me."

Ruby did not immediately take his offer, seeming to mentally question whether or not she should do as he had somewhat commanded her to. In the end, the human girl took his offer and sat beside him, an apprehensive look on her face as she admitted the truth to him.

"Yeah, she's missing. We've searched everywhere in Beacon, but she's nowhere to be found. We have tried calling her scroll, but so far our calls instantly go to voicemail." The red-hooded girl let out a forlorn groan as she hopelessly stared into the wall opposite them. "I think she doesn't want us to find her."

' _By the gods! What did I get myself into?'_ Faen mournfully thought to himself as he gazed on the troubled human sat beside him.

When he said that everyone knew Blake was missing, he had meant it. The morning after his armour arrived at his dorm, he and the others had noticed Blake was nowhere to be seen, and had started to grow concerned when she failed to turn up for the entire day. It was the same on Sunday. Despite his hopes to the contrary, it appeared that Weiss and Blake had not been able to resolve their differences, and the latter had gone ahead to disappear on them all.

As much as Faen did not want to be involved in whatever drama was going on in Team RWBY, there was no way that was possible. Especially now that Ruby had approached him and begun the conversation they were now having with one another.

Well, seeing as he had now gotten himself caught up in this, Faen thought he might as well see how he could help Ruby. Best case scenario; any word of advice he gave could help RWBY in sorting out this problem of theirs. Worst case scenario... actually, he did not know how he could possibly make this worse for the team of humans his own seemed to like spending time with. It was bad enough that one of them had gone missing.

How could he possibly make things worse for them?

"Care to explain why Blake's missing?" The white-haired elf questioned Ruby before taking a refreshing drink from the bottle in his hand. "Did it have to do with Weiss? The two of them were more or less at each other's throats the last time I saw Blake with lot."

No reply came from Ruby right away. Her face was now turned towards him, as a hesitant look on her face betrayed the fact that she was contemplating what to she was supposed to say to him. Considering they had no classes for an entire week, Faen could afford to wait for Ruby's response for however long it took her to think one up.

"Faen, can I ask you something?" Faen was half tempted to sarcastically point out to Ruby that she just had, and that she had not answered his. But he sensed that now was not the time for such things. Better to hear her out than make some sarcastic remark. "Lying and keeping secrets is wrong, right? And keeping secrets from your friends is even worse. But... what if those secrets are, uh, really personal, and will make your friends angry if they learn about it?"

This made Faen pause before he could say anything. That question of Ruby's hitting him in spots he preferred to never be touched. As the elf was keeping secrets from his teammates as well, and he feared what may happen if those secrets were discovered by them.

Recovering quickly from his stupor, so as to not give Ruby any suspicious ideas about him, Faen began to think up ways to answer her.

What she needed right now was an answer that could help with the problem wracking her team, as well as help her in the long run. Finding what he wanted, and needed to say, Faen spoke once again.

"I can't speak for everyone who keeps secrets, but I think there are times where we _do_ need to keep secrets from each other. Even from friend." That did not appear to be what Ruby had wanted to hear, yet it was what he thought she needed to hear. Ruby was young, and, in his opinion, she needed to understand that lying and keeping secrets from those close to you was not a complete evil. "Has Blake been keeping secrets from you? Did she have a good reason for keeping them?"

"Well... yeah, she has. Or I think she had," the conflicted look on Ruby's face grew. The red-hooded girl then looked around them, as if to ensure no one was around to hear them. Faen could not smell or hear anyone nearby, so it was safe for her to tell him whatever she wanted, Ruby coming to the same conclusion as well a few seconds later. "She's... uh, was a member of the White Fang."

This was more than what Faen could have ever predicted or dreamed of. Blake Belladonna? Blake Belladonna was a member of the infamous White Fang? How could such a thing be possible? Only Faunus were allowed admission into the extremist organisation, as far as Faen was aware anyway, and there was no way Blake could be a member for she was a human.

Or was she?

Grey always sensed something off about Blake, and stated several times to him in private that Blake had an odd scent to her. Faen himself had started to pick up the strange scent Blake possessed, noting on one occasion that it smelt cat-like, yet he dismissed it and chose to forget about it.

Until now at least.

If what Ruby said was true, than Blake did indeed have a good reason to keep this a secret from everyone.

He remembered Friesian's reaction when they discovered possible White Fang equipment during their Zotz Extermination mission and the look on his face as he recited that story of his. The elf had no idea how Friesian would react if he discovered Blake was a member of that same organisation that had terrorised his hometown. More likely than not, he would be less than happy about it.

Friesian aside, Faen could not imagine how the rest of RWBY felt the truth behind Blake. He could see that Ruby was conflicted, to the point that she thought to approach him on the matter. How Yang took it, the elf had no idea, but it was the Schnee that would take it the news the hardest of all. The SDC's treatment of Faunus was no secret, neither was the general attitude Altesians' had towards Faunus, so Faen could only guess how badly Weiss took learning one of her teammates was a White Fang member.

Even if Blake had not been a member of the White Fang, she would have definitely faced a hard time here in Beacon, despite it being a decently tolerant institution in regards to the treatment of different races. One upperclassman, a rabbit faunus known as Velvet if he remembered correctly, had been bullied by Cardin and his team in the weeks prior to their temporary suspension from the Academy. She had thankfully not suffered greatly at their hands, but she had suffered all the same. How Blake would have taken being harassed by those blockheaded fools in CRDL, he had no idea, yet he was secretly glad that she did not become a victim of bullying so far.

What was Blake's faunus trait anyway? It was definitely not a tail, as Friesian had to the dubious fortune of accidentally walking in on Blake as she was changing in the locker room, and the dullahan had gone into great detail when describing what he saw to Faen. To Friesian's misfortune, however, he bought that information with one hell of a black eye. The answer to his question did not also lie with her teeth, or eyes, or even her skin, for never had he seen or heard of anything unique about them.

Hells, this whole situation was starting to make his head hurt. Why did fate decide to slap this onto him?

"Are you one-hundred percent certain that Blake was a member of the White Fang?" Faen questioned Ruby, wanted to be doubly sure of it before he said anything else. This was a delicate matter, and he could not afford to leap blindly into it.

"She more or less told us she was the night she disappeared. Are you... okay, Faen?" Ruby nervously enquired, no doubt worried about how he had taken the news of Blake's involvement in one of Remnant's most notorious terrorist organisations. And what was it that he thought of Blake now?

Needless to say, his thoughts regarding Blake were now highly... complicated.

Blake was without a doubt a great fighter, she was also a smart enough person, and if she were correctly forged, she could become a great warrior for the cause of defending Remnant's people from the horror of the Grimm. But her past involvement with the White Fang put all that, and any ideas regarding her future in doubt, as far as he was concerned anyway. Trust was hard-won nowadays, and how was it possible to trust someone who had been a part of a group as infamous as the White Fang?

Faen certainly did not know how.

In all this, there was one thing that might redeem Blake in his, and possibly everyone else's, eyes. That being she was a former member of the White Fang. A former member, as in she had left the organisation.

For whatever reason Blake had left the White Fang, if she had truly left the organisation, on she herself could say. Hopefully, if they ever got the chance to ask Blake, she would be willing to give them all explanations in regards to her involvement in the White Fang, and why she thought going missing was a good idea. If she was not willing to explain herself, well, Faen believed it possible to force her to if it ever came down to that.

"I see now why Blake is missing," Faen finally said in answer to Ruby's question to him as he pinched the bridge of his nose out of exasperation with this entire topic. "Oh by the Gods above and below me, Ruby... I will be brutally honest with you. I know not how to help you with Blake."

Ruby's face fell at his words, continuing to agonise over what she was meant to do with her wayward teammate and what remained of her team. Seeing her like this compelled Faen to act, because gazing on the usually upbeat Ruby act like this was unexpectedly hard for him.

"However... I suggest you keep searching for her, if you still want her as a part of your team." Faen suggested to Ruby, making her pause before as she was about to get off the bench the two were sat on. "In the event that you do find her, hear out her reasons for her actions. From joining then leaving the White Fang, to why she went missing. Apart from that, the only other thing I can say to you is good luck."

By the gods above and below him, Faen found himself internally cringing at what he had made himself say to Ruby just then. What he had said was not well thought out, and he had actually been paraphrasing a quote from some video game he watched Grey play a while back, where the protagonist had asked for advice about a friend with a dark past. With luck, Ruby would find his words to be encouraging somehow. Not that he personally thought they would.

To his credit, it seemed his words had some positive effect on Ruby, as she went on to smile at the elf after he was done talking.

Was it possible? Had it actually worked?

It seemed astonishingly possible that what he said had indeed worked. If all turned out well, Faen would absolutely take credit for his words of advice on the occasion that Ruby or anyone else decided to thank him if they found and brought Blake back to Beacon.

"Thank you Faen. Me, Weiss, and Yang are going out to look for Blake in Vale. I guess we will need all the luck we can get to find her in the city, if she's there." Ruby stated to him as she got back onto her feet and prepared to leave Faen in the sparring room, but before she left, Faen had took note of a glaring little detail in what Ruby had just told him. That 'little detail' was really a big one, one that the elf thought to bring up and question the young human on.

"You are really thinking of bringing Weiss with you as you look for someone who probably does not want to see her anytime soon?" Faen questioned Ruby, quickly pointing out to the human what a poor choice it might just be to include Weiss of all people into the search for Blake. Like he had said earlier, the two had essentially been at each other's necks, so whether it was wise to bring the Schnee heiress into this was a questionable decision as far as Faen was concerned.

"Maybe, but they're teammates. As a team, we need to help each other, even if we think we don't want to," Ruby adamantly defended her choice to him. Mildly stunning Faen in how much conviction he could sense in Ruby's small voice.

While Faen was slow to admit it, he was really starting to see what it might that inspired Headmaster Ozpin to jump Ruby forward into Beacon. Not just because of her impressive combat skills but for so much more.

"Hmm, very well then." The elf muttered back to her, feeling that there were no other words of benefit that they could share with one another.

Ruby stopped as she stood at the threshold of the sparring room's door, casting one last look at Faen before taking another step. Meeting Ruby's eyes, Faen saw that she was still very much troubled by the matter concerning Blake, but at the same time, he sensed a flicker of hope in her silver orbs. It was... nice to see. The red-hooded human then turned and headed out the door, leaving him alone to his own devices.

As soon as the door closed behind Ruby, Faen stood back up and pulled Gwaedh free from the scabbard at his left hip. There was still so much he had to do, and worrying about Blake would not see them completed anytime soon.

* * *

Hours later, late afternoon in fact, and Faen was done training for the day.

He had spent almost the entire day inside the sparring room, and had remained undisturbed since Ruby had found and had that little chat with him in the morning. The elf had really pushed himself hard today, as he had chosen to forgo any food apart from the sandwiches he had taken into the sparring room and eaten for lunch at 12:30. With all honesty, such a decision was more than likely an unwise and very unhealthy one for him to make, as now his stomach was shouting at him to find something to eat. Gods, this must be what Grey felt on a daily basis.

Jokes aside, he really did need to get something to eat.

So, Faen packed up his stuff, and prepared to leave the sparring room.

That was the plan at least, but something made Faen stop just as his hand was reaching for the door. He could feel the warm afternoon seep air into the room as he could barely hear a window sliding open somewhere behind him. His superior sense of smell picked up the unfamiliar scent of some unknown person not longer after.

Faen had made sure he was alone when he first arrived, and as stated before, it had remained that way since Ruby left to go find Blake with the rest of her team. Whoever this person was, they must have someone climbed the wall outside and found a way to open the window to the sparring room from the outside. Clever if it was their plan to sneak into the Academy this way, but fate seemed to be frowning on them, for they had chosen the wrong time to attempt their entry into the building.

Setting his bag down, Faen turned around and drew Gwaedh out from its scabbard. The elf instantly locked his eyes onto the window that he guessed to be where the intruder was attempting to enter the building through.

Sure enough, the window he had set his eyes on was wide open. Yet, to the elf's confusion, there was no one at the window.

"Ahem," a feminine voice suddenly spoke, snapping Faen out of his confusion. Turning to the source of the voice, he was greatly surprised when he saw a person standing around a dozen metres away from him at the other side of the sparring room. They were quick to have gone from the window to the sparring room floor, and without him hearing them at that.

This was a person he must treat with exceptional care.

Now that he had a good view of the intruder, Faen took this opportunity to analyse them and see if he could determine just what they were doing here, or even a clue as to who they were.

The intruder was a female of a thin, athletic build who stood about fifteen centimetres (0.49 feet) taller than him. The clothes they wore consisted of a form-fitting suit of forest green, an equally form-fitting green and black tailcoat, green knee-high boots, and brown leather bracers. A forest green hood covered their head, and a veil-like facemask of the same colour as the hood hid their nose, lower-face, and neck. What little of their skin that was not covered was of a hue similar to his, but a shade slightly darker, while the few strands of hair poking out from her hood were white. Just like his own.

In their left hand, the intruder carried a waterproof backpack that had seen a good deal of use if the small holes in it were anything to go by. In the other, they held a dull grey carbine that possessed what appeared to be an axehead locked to the underside of the gun's barrel, serving as a bayonet of sorts. It was an impressive looking weapon to be sure, but it would be one that Faen feared he would be forced to fight against.

"Who are you?" Faen demanded of the intruder, getting ready to defend himself if the intruder thought to take their chances against him. If they did, he would make sure that they regretted making such a decision.

No vocal response came from the intruder; instead they slowly set their backpack onto the floor, and reached a hand up to their hood. Taking hold of it, the intruder lowered their hood, revealing the rest of their head and what little of their face that would be visible.

As soon as the hood was down, they revealed pure white hair that was long and tied into a high ponytail, with two bangs at the sides of her face falling past her collarbone while a few more covered most of her forehead. Of their face, he could see little thanks to that mask they wore, but the intruder's eyes he could see, and they were of a hue of dark-brown. Their age he could not precisely discern, but if he had to take a guess, she was probably around his own age or older by a couple years.

None of that mattered, especially when compared to two significant characteristics that caught his attention as soon as he laid eyes on them.

The ears of the stranger were the moderately elongated, pointed ears typically associated with Elvenkind. There was no mistaking them. What really captured Faen's attention were the four dark-red horns sprouting from the top of the intruder's head that curved backwards slightly. Two of the horns were tall, fifteen centimetres tall in fact, and larger than the other two which where the size of a human index finger.

He had only ever seen such horns as those in person once before, and the times the elf saw them in various pictures were more than he could be asked to count. Though it was true many demi-human races had horns, he was absolutely certain of what race those horns belonged to. They were without a doubt the horns of the Dracon race of demi-humans.

Yet, Dracons were supposed to possessed great leathery wings that, much like with Angels gave them the ability to fly. Their eyes were also supposed to resemble those of crocodiles, snakes, and even cats. Such a thing could not be said for the stranger stood before him.

Alarm bells began to ring in the elf's head as the stranger picked their carbine up from the floor, and with a press of a switch, the gun swiftly transformed into a battle axe. The axe's haft was around 1.2 metres long (3.9 feet), while the axehead provided an additional 13 centimetres (5.1 inches). The blade of the axehead was wide and thin, and a bladed hook was present at the back side. The intruder held it for a brief second, as if to allow Faen to admire and take in every detail of the weapon, before they did something that surprised the elf even more.

Taking their free hand to the long edge of the axehead's blade, they ran the blade on their open palm, performing the 'hand-slitting' rite that he so often performed. As he watched her perform this rite of his people, Faen's eyes narrowed as he saw a green Aura flare up and produced a protective shield that protected their palm from the razor-sharp steel. Once the stranger finished 'slitting' their palm, the stranger flicked their hand at the ground between the two of them.

An Elven gesture of challenge.

One of many gestures. This one in particular demanded that they engage in a duel here and now, a duel that would be to first-blood according to how their slit hand's index finger was the only one raised, whilst also calling out to Faen's sense of honour. Just why this stranger wished to challenge him, Faen had no idea. But the challenge had been issued, and he had to make a decision on what to do about it.

He could turn from the challenge, and in all honesty, that was what he should being doing and alert someone of the presence of an intruder. But in his heart of hearts, Faen knew that there was no way that he could reject the challenge from this stranger. Especially one performed in the traditional manner of his people. Honour demanded it of him.

Steeling his heart and turning his resolve into iron, Faen let out a resigned sigh as he decided to accept the stranger's challenge. Taking Gwaedh, the elf slid the sabre's sharp edge against his own palm, and flicked it at the ground as his challenger had done. Meeting his challenger's eyes as he did so, the elf saw that they flashed with satisfaction and joy as she watched him accept, and noticed how she tapped the axe's haft with anticipation.

Finishing the 'hand-slitting' part of the challenge rite, both Faen and the intruder beat their chests with a closed fist then bowed to their opponent. As they did, Faen uttered the words that would bind him to this duel of honour until its completion.

"So be it. Before the eyes of the gods, and by the blood of the revered ancestors, do I accept your challenge."

* * *

 **There we go, another chapter done.**

 **Would have been much longer, as in at least 3,000 words longer, because I had originally planned to include segments based on the POV's of the Intruder, Blake, and Ruby. I decided to not include them because they were too much for me to write, and the transitions between the POV's did not work with me.**

 **This will most likely be the last chapter I post during 2019, which was proving itself to be as shitty as the last year in my opinion, so will probably not see an update until after 2020 has begun. Fingers crossed that it will not be as bad as 2019, though I highly doubt it will.**

 **Either way, Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year.**

 **I will see you all when I next see you.**

* * *

 _A Guide to Demi-Humans by David Silver_

 _Dracons:_ _Considered among the most legendary and oldest of Demi-Human races, the Dracon race bore features such as a collection of horns on their head, reptilian tails, and wings that allowed them to fly. Recent archaeological studies have discovered sites built by or for Dracons that go as far back as 20,000 years ago. Recent archaeological findings, quite a few discovered by the esteemed Doctor Oobleck, have provided evidence that points to the theory that Dracons served as the earliest monarchs of early human societies until a sudden shift saw them lose their positions of power to humans and other races._

 _Sadly, the Dracon race today is currently listed as an endangered species, as only over 6,000 individuals are alive today according to a recent census carried out on Demi_ _-_ _Human populations. This is largely attribute to the selective breeding Dracons commonly practise to retain genetic 'purity', though another, far stranger cause has been noted. Field research and studies on history have shown a strange behaviour in Grimm whenever a Dracon is close, in that they will prioritise the Dracon even though a much larger threat is in the vicinity. Just why this happens still remains a mystery, and all attempts to discover the truth had thus far failed._


	14. Elven Blade and Dracon Wings

**Author's Note:**

 **Happy New Years everyone. Well, I hope it has been a happy new year so far.**

 **I have not got much else to say here, so I will leave this Author's Note here. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Elven Blade and Dracon Wings**

Ten seconds to go.

Faen and his opponent were to wait ten seconds before they were permitted to make a move against the other, as dictated by the Elven codes of duelling. It was time meant for the duellists to formulate a strategy for their duel and to give the gods time to watch the coming clash between warriors. For among Elves, duels were as much religious rituals, as they were matters of honour among mortals.

The ten seconds were also meant as a way to allow any who were having second thoughts about the duel to back out, but to do so would invite immense dishonour and shame on both themselves and their family. The aforementioned notion of the gods looking on the participants proved a serious incentive to not back out in these most crucial of seconds.

In all of recorded Elven history, there had only been six elves that had made the bold, and on four occasions deadly, decision to back down from a duel. That fact probably said something about his people, though he did not care enough to think on it.

Nine seconds to go.

Other observations of the codes they followed were presenting all of their weapons to each other.

He had already shown off Gwaedh, so Faen went on to show off his wrist-bow and Aglar in both its sword and spear mode. The stranger complied with the codes as well, and, along with her carbine-axe, revealed a backup knife and a collapsible three-bladed throwing weapon. Never before had he seen something alike to the throwing weapon she had.

This duel might just prove even more interesting judging by the stranger's weapons alone.

Eight seconds to go.

Right now, Faen and the masked intruder were stood opposite each other, sizing up their opponent, and trying to penetrate the others thoughts. In a way, they were already duelling with one another, just not in a physical sense.

Seven seconds to go.

His opponent, this mysterious elf-eared and dracon-horned intruder whose eyes were filled with burning anticipation, was constantly changing the way they held onto their axes haft. Making Faen constantly guess how she would hold it, and how she would attack him with the weapon. She might not even plan to use her weapon as an axe, but switch it into its carbine-form and take several shots at him

Six seconds to go.

Faen, on the other hand, simply stood there as still as stone. The only movements the elf was making were his rising and falling chest, and his eyes which closely tracked the movements of the foe before him. From the way her hands shifted her weapon around to the slightest twitch of her foot.

His tactic gave his opponent no prior indication as to just what he would do once the ten seconds ended. Leaving his opponent guessing on whether he would act defensively or offensively. The intruder appeared to see what he was doing if the way their eyes narrowed was anything to go by. Yet, they continued with what they were doing, and with even greater vigour and speed in fact.

Five seconds left

Mind games such as these had ended duels before they officially began. Especially among those without their Aura unlocked, as plays such as these caused duellists to leave themselves open to an attack that ended duels seconds after they began.

However, Faen and his foe did have their Auras unlocked. So all there was no way their duel would end mere seconds after it started. Unless...

Four seconds left.

His Semblance. Was using it right off the bat a viable method to begin and end this duel?

Three seconds left.

He would need to be precise, swift, and most important of all, mindful of how he utilised it. _If_ he planned to utilise it that is. Her intentions for him were still not yet clear as of yet, and he would very much like to have some Aura left in the event of another fight after this one.

Not long after, the doubts and fears of the risks involved in its usage infected his mind once again. The thought of the weakened state it would leave him in almost

Two seconds left.

He had only a second left. Faen needed to make a decision now.

One last second left.

Zero.

Faster than the eye could blink, the two rushed at each other, the two meeting at the centre of the sparring room. As soon as he was close enough, Faen swung his sabre at his opponent, but she proved swift enough to stop his blade from meeting her shoulder by blocking it with her axe's long haft.

Undeterred, Faen turned Gwaedh and slid the blade along the axe's haft in attempt to catch his opponent's fingers. He failed though, as she was able to push him back before Gwaedh's steel could connect. The action almost unbalanced him even. Having pushed him back to a distance where she could strike, the intruder attempted to hit him in the face with the butt of her axe.

Acting swiftly, Faen's free hand shot up and grabbed hold of the axe's haft above the butt. Taking advantage of the situation Faen attempted to attack the intruder, this time trying the stab his opponent's stomach. As with his previous attack, however, the intruder was able to prevent his attack from landing by kicking the sword's blade away from its target. Even as she did this, the intruder hit a button on the axe's haft which folded the weapon back into its carbine form, forcing Faen to let go of them weapon, and aimed the barrel right at him.

Seeing what the intruder planned, Faen leapt backwards a few metres and sliced apart each bullet that was shot at him. In return, Faen fired his wrist-bow at the intruder, but she had been able to snatch it out of the air with one of her hands.

 _'She is good,'_ Faen ruminated as he watched her casually toss his bolt aside. No one had done such a thing with his bolts before, and it piqued his interest in this stranger further because of that.

After throwing the bolt away, the intruder took out her throwing weapon and unfolded its three blades. Throwing it at him with one hand, the intruder then fired a burst with her carbine immediately afterwards. That was not all, though, as the intruder started to sprint towards him.

The white-haired elf could see what she was doing. He would need to either dodge or deflect the throwing weapon and bullets, but doing so would provide the intruder an opportune window to attack him personally. An admirable plan as far as Faen would admit. However, Faen was sure he could outwit and outfight the intruder.

Rolling to his left, Faen was able to get away from the bullets and throwing weapon, though, the intruder came charging at him like a bullet train just as he expected her to. She did not just settle with simply running at him, though, as she leapt high into the air and prepared to bring her unfolded axe down on him with an overhead swing. Choosing to cross weapons with his opponent, Faen stood his ground and swung Gwaedh upwards with a two-handed grip on the sabre's handle.

He intended to strike the intruder with his sabre as she descended back to the ground and before they had a chance to perform their own attack. Unfortunately, as if fate itself had chosen to interfere, the intruder swung earlier and faster than he expected. Causing a resounding metallic ring to echo across the entire sparring room as both sabre blade and axehead connected. Hells, sparks even flew as the steel of their weapons struck one another.

Behind him, Faen heard several metallic objects strike the wall behind him, one harder than the others. The bullets and throwing weapon must have hit the wall then.

Having the weightier weapon and striking with greater force, the intruder was able to push Faen back. Though, he was able to keep his balance and would be able to recover quickly from this.

As he was about to charge forward, the sound of something flying through the air right behind him, and, making a split second decision, ducked low for a brief instant. A good thing to, for the intruder's throwing weapon flew right through where his head had been a second ago. With the ease that could only come with a great deal of experience, the intruder caught the throwing weapon with their hand by its central segment without any sign of fear towards the weapon's three blades.

 _'Great. Just fricking great. Another throwable weapon that can rebound off surfaces,'_ Faen grumbled to himself within his own head. Pyrrha's shield, Akoúo, could also be used in the same manner and its usage had been crucial in beating him in a couple of their spars. The intruder folded her throwing weapon and returned it to her belt.

They remained facing each other for a couple seconds, and then rushed forward with weapons raised. Faen and his opponent swung their weapons at the same time, and engaged in a blade lock. Or a blade-haft lock as Faen guessed it should be called, as Gwaedh's blade struggled against the long haft of the intruder's axe. Seeing an optimal chance to land a strike on the intruder, Faen stepped over to the right, sliding Gwaedh out of the blade lock, and used this opportunity to stab at his opponent's neck.

Unfortunately, the intruder reacted swiftly and darted forward, eluding Faen's attack in time. Sensing a chance of her own, she attempted to to attack his legs with a wide sweep of her axe. He saw this and quickly jumped over the axe and tried to bring Gwaedh down on her head with a downward swing of the sabre. Frustratingly, the intruder immediately leapt backwards, the sabre's edge biting the floor instead, and aimed her axe his neck. Faen back away in time, the axehead's blade cutting nothing but air, and took up a defensive stance against his opponent.

They paused their duel for a moment, the both of them remaining where they stood and staring into the other's eyes. His opponent was deriving much enjoyment from all this, that he could sense in the mysterious opponent facing him. And quite honestly, Faen could say the same about himself. A few moments later, the two resumed their duel.

Moving even faster and fiercer than they had done before, each attempted to land that ever elusive first strike on their opponent. Yet, they found their efforts continuously failing as the other would parry, block, evade, or perform some other stunt to prevent the other's attacks from landing. Not even the cleverest feint performed by either of the two was able to penetrate the other's defences. The two even got into three intense blade locks, yet, even here the two failed to land a hit as they were both able to deny whatever attack was attempted against them.

It went on like this for several minutes. How long exactly, Faen did not know, and though he was enjoying their duel, a budding wish to see it end began to take root inside of him. Hunger from hours without sufficient food, and tiredness from his previous exercises, were beginning to wear away at him.

Just how long he could keep this up, the elf had no idea, but he would be damned if such things forced him to lose to this mysterious stranger.

Clashing with each other once again, Faen made an attempt to catch the intruder off-guard with a risky feint. Charging forward then leaping into the air, he rose Gwaedh over his head in a two-handed grip to make it seem he was aiming for a downward slash. In response, the intruder raised her axe up and held it horizontally, so to block his perceived attack. A reaction performed by several polearm-wielding foes Faen had battled, and one he had worked around.

Confident that his opponent had fallen for his ploy, the elf brought the weapon down towards the intruder. As he did with those other foes of his, the downward swing curved so Gwaedh's blade would sweep right above the intruder's guard. The plan being that it would slash horizontally across the intruder's face.

The timing had to be perfect, or else his trick would end catastrophically for him.

Much to Faen's relief and satisfaction, his feint worked, and, though the intruder attempted to stop him, Gwaedh's steel edge found its mark. The keen metal cut across the intruder's face, her Aura protecting her of course, and hastily recoiled from him. The first strike of this duel was his!

As much as he would like to, Faen refused to waste even a second to revel in his accomplishment. Instead, once his feet were back on the floor, he took several steps back and prepared for the intruder's inevitable counterattack. Against his expectations, however, the anticipated counterattack did not come. The intruder was not even facing him right now.

To Faen's surprise, she had turned away from him so that the left side of her body was facing towards him. Heck, the intruder also had her left hand over her face. Particularly over where Gwaedh's blade had cut across.

Without a doubt, this was surely a trap. It was so obviously a trap, that Faen it marginally insulting.

The intruder's Aura had protected her, and though there would be some pain, the elf did not believe he had inflicted enough to cause the intruder to react in this manner. Furthermore, the way she was hiding her face made it even more obvious that this was an act to bait him into attacking. For though the intruder was hiding her face with her hand, she would still be able to hear him coming, and attack him as soon as he came near.

Yet, despite how he was well aware of the trap, it was too irresistible to Faen. Like the last donut in a box, the intruder was just there, enticing the white-haired elf to come take advantage of her exposed situation before it was too late.

Before he knew it, his body was moving and had raised Gwaedh in preparation of a slash meant for her neck. He may have taken the intruder's bait, but Faen believed he could act swiftly enough to counter whatever she was planning.

The sabre's blade came down towards her neck and was mere centimetres away from connecting with it, when, rather unexpectedly, the intruder's hand shot up and caught the blade. Cursing himself, Faen raised his left arm and tried to fire his wrist-bow right at the intruder's face. He did not get the chance, however, as his opponent swung their axe with their other hand and struck Faen right in the gut with its bladed hook.

Pain exploded where the axe's bladed hook hit him, and as Faen tried to pull away from the intruder, Gwaedh was torn from his grasp.

 _'Fuck!'_ Faen swore in his head as he took a couple steps backwards, his left hand over where the intruder had been able to score her first hit. Like an idiot he had fallen for the trick, overconfidence getting the better of him where he should have been cautious. Well, lesson learned.

He would not make the same mistake again.

Emboldened by how easily Faen had fallen for her trap, the intruder advanced towards him. Casting Gwaedh to the floor behind her as she drew close. Then, holding her axe's haft with two hands, she swung the weapon in an overhead arc. Seeing the stranger's axe falling swiftly down towards his head, Faen's hand flew to Aglar's grip and pulled it out from its sheathe. No sooner had he done so, the edge of the axehead was but a centimetre away from impacting against his helm, but Faen proved swift enough that he blocked the blade with Aglar.

The elf let out a grunt as he tried to push the intruder back, however, he immediately received a sudden head butt from the intruder for his troubles. Reeling from the head butt, Faen nearly stumbled as he backed away from the intruder, who was preparing to strike him with a low, diagonal swing of her axe.

Before she could go ahead with such an attack, the elf pulled on the switch below Aglar's guard, transforming the weapon into its spear-form right when she got in range of the weapon. The tip of Aglar's blade successfully striking the intruder in the chest as the sword's handle extended and shot the blade forward.

Recoiling from his attack, it was the intruder's turn once again to retreat a couple steps. Now armed with Aglar, Faen was able to match the stranger's advantage of reach with his weapon's spear-form.

Immediately the pair started to go back and forth, the both of them having the upper hand for a moment or two before the tables turned once again. After those initial hits, the pair was able to score a few more as they became more aware of the other's skill in combat. Even with their growing ability to guess what their opponent was about to do, they still found ways to surprise each other.

Faen tried to thrust Aglar at the intruder, but she was able to sidestep his attack and grabbed hold of the spear's shaft. He had seen this coming, as well as the attack that would come not a moment afterwards.

Raising his left hand, Faen caught the intruder's axe just as she attempted to hit his face with its axehead. The two began to struggle with each other, with Faen trying to pry Aglar free while attempting to keep hold of the stranger's axe, and vice versa. After trying for a few seconds, the intruder decided to just kick him square in the chest, sending him backwards three metres or so.

The elf's grip on Aglar failed as he was sent back, the intruder pulling it from his hand in the process. Scrambling to get back onto his feet, Faen's eyes shot wide open when he saw the stranger raise Aglar and throw the spear at him like a javelin.

Acting quickly, Faen turned his body and reached his hand to where he estimated Aglar would fly. Faen's timing was perfect and guess correct, as his sword-spear shot past his right shoulder and he snatched it out of the air with his left hand. Not bad if he had to say so himself.

The intruder's eyes flashed with surprise and admiration at his feat, right before it re-intensified with the will to fight him with all she had.

With Aglar back in his hands, Faen shot a bolt at her, which she was able to dodge by leaping above it. Making use of this opportunity before him, the elf charged forward and thrust his spear at the intruder while they were still in mid-air. As his thrust was about to land, two great wings that glowed green suddenly manifested on her back, and with a single flap she evaded Aglar's tip.

So, this was her Semblance. The manifestation of wings made from her Aura. Dracon wings if his eyesight was not starting to fail him.

Stunned as he was by this revelation, Faen went back into the offensive and tried to strike the stranger while she was in the air. Frustratingly, though, she used those wings of hers to ascend higher into the air, going beyond his and Aglar's reach. While she flew into the air, the stranger folded her axe into its carbine form and set her sights on him.

Rethinking his approach, Faen ran in an effort to evade the stranger's bullets. The rattle of gunfire filled the air, and bullets started to rain down on him, quite a few actually hitting or grazing him. If that was not enough, the intruder went so far as to hurl that three-bladed throwing weapon at him when she needed to reload, giving little space to catch a reprieve. In response, Faen fired bolts from his wrist-bow and tried to think of a plan to knock the intruder back down to the ground.

Preoccupied by the bullets being shot at him, while simultaneously running from them, firing his wrist-bow at the intruder, and thinking up a plan, Faen failed to notice the bench in his way. By the time he did, it was too late, and, much to his embarrassment, the elf tripped and fell to the ground as his shin struck the wooden piece of furniture.

It was as he shot back to his feet, taking a few bullets as he did, that Faen was able to come up with a plan.

Firing the last bolt in his wrist-bow's current magazine, which the intruder evaded with insulting ease, Fane put that plan into action. It was risky, even so, it was the only one he could think of right now.

From the ground Faen could see the intruder flash him a taunting look from her elevated position in the air after having successfully, and gracefully, avoided the last of his bolts. That look immediately evaporated when he grabbed hold of the bench that tripped him over, the same one he spoke with Ruby on in fact, and threw it at the intruder with only one hand. He was only able to pull off the feat by enhancing his arm's strength through drawing on his Aura to augment the limb, allowing the elf to send the wooden bench speeding like an arrow shot from a bow.

The intruder thought fast and swung her carbine at the oncoming bench. The axehead 'bayonet' of the weapon chopped the bench into two halves with a single swing of the gun. Just as he had planned. For, not a moment after he threw the bench, Faen leapt into the air with an Aura empowered jump so he was right behind the bench after having flung it.

As the two halves of the bench and its many splinters fell away, he passed through them all and had almost reached the stranger, Aglar ready in its sword-form.

Seeing his swift approach, the intruder attempted to shoot him. To his satisfaction, nothing happened when she pressed on the carbine's trigger, the elf having timed his attack to coincide with when the intruder used up all her bullets. Figuring this out, the intruder attempted to back away from him, and tried to hit Faen across the face with the stock of her carbine before he could try to swing or stab Aglar at him. Such was not his plan, however, as he had a different, albeit more dangerous idea in mind.

Before the carbine stock was about to hit him, Faen hit the switch under Aglar's guard, transforming the weapon into its spear-form and thrust the weapon at the intruder's chest as he had done before. This time, however, it would not just be sharpened steel that would strike the intruder.

As the tip of Aglar's blade shot forth towards it target, the elf activated his Semblance. A semi-transparent pale-white flame immediately encompassed the now shining two-edged blade of the sword.

Just as the stock of the intruder's carbine struck him on the left side of his head, Aglar's tip stabbed her chest. The pale flames shot towards the point of contact and exploded in a spectacular burst of white light. Blinding him, and, if he was fortunate, his opponent as well. At least he was only momentarily blinded this time around, and did not go unconscious as had happened in the last successful, if unintentional, use of his Semblance.

A feeling of unparalleled tiredness suddenly took hold of him as though almost all the energy in his body was sucked out of him, and his stomach felt as though it had been crushed under a Goliath's foot. The feeling of falling then took hold of him, and soon enough the sensation of his back crashing hard against the hard ground mercilessly shot through him.

He had not considered that in his plan, but, if he acted fast enough, the pain would be worth it in the end.

Though he still could not see properly, Faen hurriedly tried to get back to his feet whilst also reaching out for any of his weapons. Using both hands, the elf's gloved hands searched the cold floor around him with a measure of desperation. His efforts were in vain, despite how much he tried. Aglar had either landed some distance away from him, which was the worst case scenario; or it was right next to Faen and he was making himself look like an absolutely blind idiot.

Through this Faen's entire mind was also occupied by thoughts of the intruder. Though he was blinded, Faen could still hear perfectly, and he was certain that he could hear movement and hard, heavy breathing somewhere in front of him. They were probably in a worse state than him, being the target for his Semblance and all, but he could not be too careful. Faen needed to grab hold of a weapon as soon as possible.

His sight finally returning to normality, the elf almost instantly locked eyes with the intruder, who was not far off from him, perhaps three metres from him. Faen did not know what his opponent was feeling right now, but it looked as though she must be experiencing some kind of chest pain if the way her hand clutched her chest was anything to go by.

The stranger's green Aura shimmered over her body, and then it began to fail and disappeared after a few seconds. A sound alike to a flame guttering out accompanied it. His Semblance had done its work, now all he had to do was deliver a single cut and this duel would be his.

Before he did anything, the elf noticed a faint light emanating from his person. Looking down to his arms, Faen's eyes widened when he saw his white-coloured Aura shimmer weakly, then complete fade away with a sound similar to shattering ice. Damn it all. Once again he had used far more Aura than he had meant to.

This did not escape the intruder, who had slightly recovered from her pain, and started to search for her own weapon. With little time to act, Faen did the same.

Continuing his search for his weapons, Faen saw that Aglar had fallen a short distance away from him, and that Gwaedh lay a similar distance. Gritting his teeth, Faen made to go for Gwaedh, but he immediately paused where he stood when he cast his eyes towards the intruder. For they had not gone for their carbine-axe, which was maybe a metre or so away from her, instead she had taken out that throwing weapon of hers and started to unfold its three blades. She planned to throw the weapon at him as soon as tried to go for his.

Well, two could play at that game.

Hurriedly ejecting the empty magazine in his wrist-bow, Faen slammed a new one in and aimed at the stranger. Making sure to aim so any bolt he fired would not prove lethal, he aimed and fired. At the same time, the intruder had thrown the three-bladed weapon at him.

Both bolt and throwing weapon sped through the air. Nearly colliding against each other for a brief instant, yet they passed each other by and resumed their course towards their intended targets.

Seeing the throwing weapon was heading straight for his face, Faen attempted to get out of the way, however, he stumbled mid-step as his tired feet almost caused him to fall to the ground. In his effort to stabilise himself, Faen accidentally got back into the throwing weapons way, and felt one of its cold metal blades graze the skin beside his right eye. Faen's heart almost stopped as he felt the steel do so.

After her stabilised himself, much good that did him, the elf rose a gloved hand and gently touched the area beside his right eye with two of fingers, then pulled it away to see what he knew he would find. On the tip of his gloved fingers there was a thin smear of red blood. The sight of it made his heart fall, for it meant one thing.

He had lost.

Looking back to his opponent in order to congratulate her, Faen's eyes widened as he saw a cut beside her own right eye. A thin trail of fresh blood fell from the cut that his bolt must have inflicted on her. She was aware of the minor injury and touched it in the same manner he had done.

"It's a draw?" Faen questioned, disbelief in his voice, for draws were rare for Faen. Hell, the number of times this had happened could be counted on his right hand with fingers to spare.

For her part, the intruder nodded at his declaration in agreement of Faen's words. In an odd sort of way, she appeared content with the outcome of their duel, happy with it even.

As was the way with anything, there were codes and rules that governed what was to be done in the event of a draw. For one, duellists had the right to demand an immediate continuation of their duel or a rematch to be enacted in a later date. In opposition to that previous rule, however, duellists who wished to accept the result as it was could do just that. Even then, any judges who might be present could overrule the duellists' decisions based on their thoughts of the skill demonstrated by the duellists, or their overall conduct during the duel. If all parties reached an impasse, well, that was when things could get overly complicated and honestly stupid.

For example, Faen remembered reading about a series of duels between two great elf warriors that lasted a week due to how neither they, nor the presiding judges, could agree on what to do after both drew in every duel they fought against each other. He forgot how the entire affair ended exactly, but he knew that both duellists ended up killing each other in the end.

Hopefully his draw with this intruder would not end in a similar outcome.

Deciding on what to do next, Faen picked up Gwaedh and returned both it and Aglar to their scabbards. He had no wish to continue fighting the intruder, but it did not mean he was letting his guard down, as he remained ready to act in the case the stranger tried to pull anything that may warrant further violence between the two. Thankfully, the intruder appeared to share the same thoughts as him, for she went off to pick up her carbine-axe and throwing weapon, and put them away.

Both of them were still reeling from the effects of his Semblance, so their movements were slow and a tad clumsy at times.

That was not all the two did, as together, they pulled down their facemasks to reveal their faces to one another. Faen had to remove his helmet first, though, as a sign of courtesy. As soon as he laid eyes on her youthful face, Faen began to feel his heartbeat pick up a little, for though her face did not compare to some super models he had seen, she was beautiful enough in his opinion.

Shaking his head for now was not the time for such thoughts; Faen hoped that perhaps now they could have a normal conversation. Well, normal enough for two people who had fought tooth-and-nail against each other a few moments ago.

"Your name. You never said what your name was," Faen began to say as he placed his helm in the crook of his left arm. Asking for her name was a good start, and he really wanted to cease referring to her as the 'intruder.' "Will you tell it now?"

"Yasmin Doronlas," the intruder immediately replied, speaking for the first time. Her voice was low and sounded as though she had not used it often, but it was as attractive to him as her body was. Pushing these increasingly concerning thoughts to the side, Faen focused on that peculiar Elven surname of hers.

Doronlas. If he was correct, this surname was derived from the Common Elf dialect, just like his own surname. Funnily enough, Faen had heard this surname mentioned in passing only a couple times before by his parents. From what he had been able to infer, it belonged to an Elven family that had moved from the Elven cities years before his own, and had settled in a town several kilometres north of Selene. That was all the young elf knew, or could remember at least.

It had been many years ago when he first heard the name, Doronlas, and Faen found himself incapable of properly recalling why his parents had spoken of the Doronlas family.

Had they spoken of the Doronlas family in a reverant, indifferent, or negative tone? Were all members of the Doronlas family part-elf, part-dracon? How much did his parents even know of the Doronlas family?

Yasmin was not done, though, and continued to speak.

"That is my name, and yours is Faen Tatharion."

In an instant, Faen's eyes narrowed once more, and he moved his right arm so it was ready to take Gwaedh out from its sheathe in a moment's notice. The action, and his intent behind it, did not escape Yasmin, but she did nothing in response to his obvious gesture of caution and distrust. Instead, she simply carried on speaking as though nothing was wrong.

"I watched you battle the Grimm at Forever Fall Forest that day you, and those other creatures, went to collect sap from the forest. Before that," Yasmin took a step towards him, "I already knew who you were. The white-eyed elf who nearly killed a fellow student in Vigil Martial School with their Semblance."

Faen did his best to not visibly react to Yasmin's words, and though he had kept his face straight, there must have been something in his eyes that gave away his inner thoughts and emotions. For he saw a spark of what Faen believed to be amusement dance across her eyes.

The incident Yasmin spoke of had occurred just shy of seven years ago. It had been during a spar with a pest of a Satyr classmate who had angered him so much, Faen used his Semblance on the prancing bastard, just when the goat-man was about to win. It was the first time Faen had used it, and it was the first time he discovered the lethal capabilities that it possessed. Still, in spite of how Faen could have nearly killed his opponent, it was well worth seeing that smug twit squirm in agony before him.

Gratifying memories of a satyr in pain aside, there were more pressing concerns to occupy his mind. Such as how Yasmin could possibly know of it.

"You know of that? How?" Faen questioned Yasmin, his hand still prepared to draw Gwaedh from its scabbard, despite his current physical state.

"Everyone in Vigil knew, as such, everyone in Sentry knew as well." Yasmin replied as she crossed her arms. Her answer prompted Faen to roll his eyes as soon as she mentioned the word 'Sentry'.

Sentry was another Martial School located on Avalon, and was the rival of Vigil Martial School. Honestly, they were rival institutions _long_ before they were converted into Martial Schools, being bitter enemies back when they were warrior shrines. Shrines were sanctuaries where demi-humans could hone their skills as warriors, and sold those same warriors off as mercenaries when it was beneficial. Among the things that were carried over from those bygone days, aside from their deep-seated spite for one another, was the two institutions' tendency to spy on each other's activities.

His incident was supposed to have remained within Vigil's walls on the instance of Vigils Mentors. However, if Yasmin was being truthful, Sentry spies had learnt of it somehow.

"So, you were from Sentry," Faen spoke in a steady, low voice. He did not personally care for Vigil and Sentry's rivalry, despite attending the former, and felt no hostility towards Yasmin for studying in the latter. Any hostility directed towards Yasmin would be because of his suspicions of her intentions, of which he still did not know. "That is far from here. What was it you were doing all the way in Forever Fall?"

"Culling rats," Yasmin vaguely responded to him, her voice becoming even lower than it was before. Almost... no, now was not the time for such thoughts. "But as I witnessed your excellence with a blade, as well as our shared heritage, I just had to battle against you. Truly worthy opponents are hard to find after all, and you proved more than worthy. It was only after further contemplation during my journey here that I recognised you."

As if he had need of further reasons to suspect Yasmin, she just had to give him a cryptic answer. She just had to. It was almost as though Yasmin _wanted_ him to distrust her.

'Rats' could mean just about anything. Yasmin could be referring to Grimm, bandits, Kingdomers, hell; even literal rats might be what she was talking about. That she was 'culling' whatever the 'rats' were certainly did nothing to allay his suspicious, so long as she did not explain herself to him. Again, this was assuming that Yasmin was telling him the truth in the first place.

And, until definite proof was presented to him, Faen very much doubted Yasmin's reason for breaking in Beacon and challenging him to a duel all of a sudden. She probably did not wish to kill him, for if she had they would most certainly not be having this conversation right now. Even then, it was better to be cautious than to blindly trust this perplexing stranger.

By the gods, fighting Yasmin was far simpler than having a conversation with her as far as Faen was concerned.

"Hmph, if you say so," Faen snorted, making his unconvinced thoughts known to Yasmin through the tone used in his voice. For her part, the elf-dracon hybrid remained calm, and only tilted her head to the side in response to his remark. Before more could be said, Faen heard the sparring room's door click open, and when he turned to see who had entered, the elf's eyes widened as soon as he laid eyes on them.

It was the gorgon professor of Beacon. Kallisto Taupe.

"Professor Taupe!" Faen exclaimed as the gorgon professor stepped through the doorway. It seems she had recently returned from her Hecatoncheire extermination mission, judging by the fact she was arrayed in her full, rather dishevelled combat outfit, and carried her kopis sword and gun-shield. As the professor drew closer, Faen, as well as Yasmin, wrinkled his nose and almost gagged when he caught a whiff of Taupe's scent.

It was absolutely horrid. Not only did the professor smell of days old sweat, there was also blood and... sewage?

"Hmmm. That bad, huh?" Taupe grumbled out a question as she quickly noticed the two's reaction to her abominable smell. Judging from the irritable tone of her voice, the professor was not in the best mood right now. So it would be best if he did nothing to get on her nerves. Hopefully Yasmin was wise enough to do the same. "You are better off not knowing what happened. And don't worry; I am cleaner than I smell."

Flashing a quick look in Yasmin's direction, Faen saw that his former opponent was just standing where she stood. Nothing in her body language suggested she was going to try something aggressive to either him or the professor, nor did she seem to wish for an escape from this situation. Faen kept himself combat ready, anyway.

"I had thought there was a need for my personal intervention when the Headmaster notified me of an armed trespasser on Beacon grounds. Is such a thing still necessary?" The professor asked Faen, gazing sternly at him with her cyan eyes, while half of the snakes on her head scrutinised Yasmin. After a quick scan of Yasmin's person with her snake-hair, the gorgon turned her face to the elf-dracon, and began to question her. "Who might you be? And why have broken into our Academy?"

"Yasmin Doronlas. I came to your Academy to challenge Faen to a duel, nothing more," Yasmin coolly responded with a slight bow of her in greeting.

"Is that so?" Professor Taupe slowly uttered, drawing out each word. "Forgive me for not immediately believing you."

It was then that the professor took note of his new armour, and was quick to address it. Her eyes, and that of half her snakes, were still focused squarely on Yasmin as she spoke once again.

"That armour of Elven make?"

"I believe so," Faen quickly replied to the professor's inquiry. Finding himself standing taller and straighter the moment the armour was brought up by the professor, as he did with every other person who mentioned it. "I only received it last Friday."

"Really now? Wear it well, Mister Tatharion," Professor Taupe said as a few of her snakes proceeded to nod once to him. Faen could swear he saw what might have been intrigue dash across their eyes, but it might just be him imagining things.

For a moment, the three stood in silence, with Taupe repeatedly switching her gaze between Faen and Yasmin. Then, the gorgon took a couple steps away from them and let out a shrill hiss. Two of her snakes instantly framed the sides of Taupe's mask and began to converse with them, while the rest of the snakes on the professor's head kept a close eye on the two young demi-humans. Understandably, Yasmin turned to Faen and sent him a questioning look.

"She does this from time to time," Faen quietly said to Yasmin, "it is best if you do not question it."

"I'll... take your word for it," Yasmin replied, seemingly still confused by the professor's strange habit. He had grown accustomed to it by now, as did many other first-years, and it was actually a fair bit amusing to see people who were not react to the professor speaking to her snakes.

Returning their attention to Professor Taupe, they saw her muttering something in an unintelligible, hissing language back to the snakes she was currently conversing with. After a bit more back and forth between the gorgon and her snake-hair, she sheathed her kopis and looked back towards Faen then Yasmin. Sending a hard, penetrating look at the pair of them while she did.

"Hmph. Dare I ask which one of you did that? Professor Goodwitch is going to be pissed once she learns of it," the gorgon abruptly stated, her eyes looking past them and locking on the two halves of what once was a whole bench. The same bench Yasmin had cut in half _after_ Faen had thrown it at her. "Oh whatever. Mister Tatharion, would you and our _guest_ accompany me to the Headmaster's office? The Headmaster will want a word with the both of you."

As she spoke, the professor placed a hand on the butt of her sheathed kopis sword's handle. Signifying to the both of them that what she just said was a command more than anything else.

Seeing as how the both of them were still experiencing the after-effects of Faen's Semblance, the two saw no other choice, but to follow the professor to Headmaster Ozpin's office. Yasmin was surprisingly willing to follow through with the professor's command, for she started moving before Faen did. The elf shared a quick sideways look with the gorgon before he followed after Yasmin.

He was not looking forward to the discussion they were going to have the Headmaster.

* * *

Friesian the Dullahan was lounging in the common room. There was not much else he could do, apart from catch up on his History classwork, again, but he did not feel like doing that yet. He would get it done in time. Besides, the work was not due for quite some time, so there was plenty of time to sit down and not worry about it.

Faen had gone off to continue practising in that new, flashy armour that was delivered a few days ago. Akagi had gone off to do... whatever it was that Akagi did. Finally, Grey was off hanging out with Team AMRT in the cafeteria. He would have liked to join his partner, but the dullahan felt that he would much rather stay in the common room for now.

He had spent half the day in here, and plenty of that time was putting the finishing touches on the game of Dark Paths he was setting up.

When he told his team of it, Friesian was overjoyed when they told him that they were willing to play. Sure Faen needed a bit of encouraging from Grey to agree with the idea, and Odori made some remark in her native language that he suspected was a derisory comment, but they all agreed to it in the end. He even went so far as to extend the same offer to the others in RWBY, JNPR, and AMRT. Like with his own team, it took a bit to convince one or two of them, nevertheless, they too agreed to play Dark Paths when the opportunity arose.

The thought of playing this game with his friends made him absolutely giddy with excitement, as Friesian's old friends back home had never been interested in playing Dark Paths. Claiming that it was too 'geeky,' and that there were much better things they could do instead. Such as playing a new FPS game, seeing the new Stellar Warfare movie trilogy, or talking about the latest football results.

Now, though, things were different. He could finally, _finally_ live out his dream of being a Gamemaster.

It was as Friesian was sat on a common room sofa, unconsciously grinning madly and enthusiastically rubbing his hands together, that he heard the common room door swing open. Friesian immediately stopped what he was doing and held up his head to check on who it was that had arrived. He was glad to see it was Faen who had come back from his training, yet, he was not alone. Weirdly enough, the person with him was not someone he remembered ever seeing here in Beacon.

They were a lithe young woman of a similar age to the rest of FFOG, if Friesian had to take a guess, and, curiously enough, they were a demi-human. Faen's companion had the ears of an Elf and possessed four horns atop her head. Suggesting they were of mixed heritage, but what that other part of her could be was unknown to Friesian. Without a doubt they not Demon horns, neither did they belong to a Oni, Satyr, or Minotaur.

Aside from her ears and horns, the dullahan also took note of the stranger's hair and veil-like facemask. The facemask was nothing too special; it was her long white hair that was more intriguing. Her hair colour was exactly like Faen's, leading Faen to question whether or not the two were related. Perhaps he could ask them that later on.

"This is our common room," Faen seemed to explain to the stranger, then gestured to Friesian saying, "and that is my teammate. Friesian Bones."

"What's up?" Friesian greeted the two new arrivals, not really knowing what else he was supposed to say apart from that.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," the stranger slowly replied in a surprisingly low voice. Somehow, Friesian was not convinced that the stranger was being completely sincere in her words. "I believe I have seen enough. You will not mind if I head off to my dorm, do you? I know the way."

"Not at all," the team leader of FFOG muttered out in response to the estranger. For a second, the two held each other's gaze, and then disengaged as soon as they had connected. Then, without another word, the stranger turned on her heel and walked back out of the common room, leaving the young men to themselves.

Letting out a quick sigh, Faen pinched the bridge of his nose before choosing to walk over to a nearby chair and tiredly collapsing onto it.

"Who-Who exactly was that?" The dullahan asked his team leader, still uncertain as to just who the stranger was and why she had been in Faen's company. By now, Friesian was well aware of his team leader's reluctance to interact with unfamiliar people, only doing so when the occasion made it absolutely necessary or advantageous. So it was certainly odd that Faen was showing that stranger around the way he did just now.

"Yasmin Doronlas," Faen grunted as he sank even deeper into his chair and placed a hand on his forehead. "Our new... reserve team member."

"Uh, what?" Freisian questioned Faen the moment he finished that last sentence of his. "Did I just hear you right?"

"You did. The Headmaster himself decreed it so," Faen immediately responded, sounding not too happy about this new arrangement for some reason. "From now on, Yasmin will act as a sort of assistant for Professor Taupe every so often, while also being the fifth member of Team FFOG. She is, at the very least, a highly competent fighter. Trust me."

"Is that even allowed? I mean, I've never seen a rule stating there can't be additional members to a team, but neither have I seen a rule saying otherwise." Friesian continued, still finding this new bit of news to be quite confusing. Why did Headmaster Ozpin appoint them a fifth team member all of a sudden? Were they to be known as Team FFOGY now?

"Ruby is fifteen as she in Beacon," Faen quickly pointed out. It took Friesian a moment to think about it, but he was right about Ruby, and there was no way he could argue about it.

This was all really confusing to Friesian, and it was not only because of Yasmin's unannounced appointment as a reserve member of FFOG. What was probably more confusing than that, was the feelings Faen and Yasmin held for one another.

Now, Friesian did not mean any of that sappy romance stuff he watched and read from every so often. What the dullahan meant by 'feelings' was the obvious distrust Faen felt towards Yasmin, which was only made more complicated by what Friesian assumed to be a measure of respect between the two. Friesian's team leader was not as good at hiding emotions as he might think he was, and it was quite obvious to Friesian that the elf had some pretty mixed emotions towards Yasmin. Just where these emotions stemmed from in the first place was a whole bag of cats Friesian was unsure he wanted to open.

"Good point," the dullahan acknowledged Faen's previous words. Hopefully this kind of behaviour was not going to become a frequent habit of Beacon's Headmaster. "What's she like, anyway? What is she? And where is she from?"

"She's part elf and part dracon. You know those demi-humans with dragon horns, wings, and tails." Well, that certainly explained where Yasmin for those unique traits of hers. Remaining silent, Friesian leaned forward as he intently listened to what else Faen had to say about Yasmin. "She's from Avalon, just like me and Grey, though she attended a separate Martial School. For her weapons she has this carbine that can transform into a battleaxe, a spare combat knife, and a throwing weapon with three blades. As for what she is like, well, I can't really say exactly. Just... keep an eye on her, will you?"

"Sure thing boss," Friesian quickly responded. He would have liked to know a bit more than that, yet, it was good enough for now. It was then that Friesian took not of a fresh, light scar just to the side of Faen's right eye. "Hold up. Where did you get that cut?"

"Yasmin. When she first met me, Yasmin challenged me to a duel in a traditional Elven manner, so I had to fight her." Faen admitted after spending several seconds quietly contemplating his answer, or so Friesian thought anyway. "I-I used my Semblance to get her Aura down to zero, and it worked, at the cost of all my own. We drew after I fired a bolt that grazed her right, while her throwing one did the same to me."

Hearing this, Friesian could not help but frown at what he had just been told. That Faen wished him to keep an eye on Yasmin already did the latest addition to FFOG no favour, but hearing she and his team leader got into a fight upon meeting each other did not sit well with Friesian. He could only imagine how Grey and Akagi would take the news if Faen decided to tell them.

Friesian really hoped the Headmaster knew what he was doing when he chose to lump this stranger with them.

"Where's Team RWBY?" Faen groaned as he massaged his eyelids, changing the subject to something other than Yasmin.

"No idea. Yang said they were going to look for Blake in Vale, but, apart from a phone call I got at 3PM, I haven't heard from them since. I'm guessing that they still haven't found Blake," Friesian took a moment to check his Scroll to see if anyone had tried to call or text him, but found there was nothing. He really hoped that this entire affair would be resolved soon. "You know, that strange girl RWBY spoke of before Blake disappeared was with them last time I called them. Let me tell you, she sounded almost as barmy Nora."

Faen appeared to only be half-listening when the dullahan was talking about Penny, which he did find rude, but was able to shrug it off. The guy seemed tired, like _really_ tired, and looked to be on the verge of dozing off right then and there. This would not do if they wanted to continue their current conversation.

"How about I make you some tea, eh? You honestly look like you need it," Friesian offered hopefully, thinking that maybe a good brew would keep his team leader awake. Besides, the guy was working himself to death with all the training he had been doing lately, so some tea was the very least of what he deserved for all that hard work.

"Coffee, please." The elf requested instead in a low, yet grateful voice.

Friesian and Faen never spent a lot of time alone with each other. The latter seemed to prefer the company of Grey and Akagi over his, but Friesian made the best of what time they got. Now was hopefully one of those times where the two could have a deeply heart to heart conversation as Friesian heard Faen had with their other two teammates.

While Friesian was checking the cabinet where they kept all their teas and coffees, none of the stuff Faen preferred was in there. Oh well, he could use some that imported Altesian instant coffee Weiss drank from time to time.

Coffee was coffee. There should not be too much of a difference, right?

After spending a few minutes preparing Faen's coffee, it was finally done. Turning to present the mug of steaming brown liquid to his team leader, Friesian was surprised, and a bit disappointed, to see the elf had actually fallen asleep on his chair. It was a damn shame, as Friesian very much wanted to discuss a few things with Faen, but the guy looked as though he needed the sleep, so Friesian left him be. Still, there was a fresh mug of coffee in his hands, and it would be extremely wasteful if he just let it go cold or poured it down the sink.

Since Faen was not going to drink his coffee, the dullahan reasoned that he might as well have it, seeing as there was no one else around. If this coffee was good enough for a fancy heiress like Weiss, it should be good enough for him. Lifting the mug up to his lips, Friesian took one sip and almost dropped it to the floor as soon as the highly bitter liquid assailed his taste buds.

"Weiss drinks this?! Ugh, Altesian coffee is vile!" Friesian exclaimed as he put the mug on the kitchen counter and hurriedly scrambled for a bottle of water to wash the godawful taste of Altesian coffee from his mouth.

* * *

 _'Gods above. Save me from the idiocy from fools!'_ Oberon screamed inside of his head as he stormed out of the latest gathering of the Avaloni parliament in the City of Avalon. The capital city of the Enclave of Avalon. His four imposing Troll guards marching with him.

Much like it had been for the last several gatherings; it had been more of a disorganised shouting match between wild savages than a intelligent debate between civilised people. There had been times where the Parliamentary representatives looked about ready to come to blows with each others. It was a relief that they did not, but it had been too close, and no new legislature had been passed.

This latest frustration was due in part because someone had spread false rumours that he was trying to push a bill advocating for increased openness to outlanders. That he wished to allow Kingdomers, and those not of demi-human stock, into Avalon's heartlands. These were lies, for not once had such bill ever crossed the Faery King's mind. Though Oberon did wish for more cooperation between the Encalves and the Kingdoms, he had no desire for Avalon's heartlands to be open to outlanders.

There were just a few things that were best left as they were.

Another reason why the Avaloni Parliament had nearly devolved into a schoolyard brawl was the rising tensions between the various people that lived on the Enclave. Factions had formed in the towns and cities of the Enclave, each one vying against the others over some goal or ideal they pursued. Be it the supremacy of a certain species, or how the Avaloni government was run. It even extended to the Avaloni Parliament.

While there had always been factions in the Parliament, such as Oberon's own shadow faction which secretly worked to bring about laws that favoured his own goals, never had the factions gone so extreme as they were now.

For example, an isolationist faction, one first formed after the Great War, had risen in power and made it their mission to impede any legislature that promoted cooperation with the Kingdoms. Another promoted coexistence with the Kingdoms, and was the arch-rival of the isolationists. There were other smaller factions whose goals and ideals aligned with the previous two, but ultimately, they had their own agendas. Oberon's agents within the factions did their best to secretly curtail any detriment plans that endangered his and the Order's, which they had done a fair job of.

Still, even with his agent's intervention, the situation was only barely manageable, and unless something was done soon, it could very well descend to a point where the Enclave would fall into chaos. With chaos came Grimm, and when Grimm came, death was sure to follow. Such a chain of events were common throughout history, and the threat of it happening again loomed over Avalon.

All of this was no doubt a part of The Enemy's insipid plan to undermine their hard-earned peace, and bring about the total ruination of Avalon and all of Remnant. Well, the only way they would achieve that would be over his dead body.

"Your Grace," a husky voice called to Oberon before he could travel far. Turning to face whoever had spoken to him, Oberon saw that it was the Parliament's Angelic Representative, Azazel Onyx, one of his most ardent supporters in the Avaloni Parliament and oldest of friends. The two of them first met each other at boarding school and remained lifelong friends through all the intervening years.

Azazel was a tall, slim man with fair skin, black eyes, and tan-brown hair that was neatly combed back. As with the rest of his species, Azazel had two large snow-white wings protruding from his back. He wore a three-piece suit consisting of an onyx black double-breasted jacket and pants, with a silverfish-white waistcoat over a white-striped black shirt, and a dark-red tie. On his lapel was his signature golden pin depicting a goat's head.

Oberon never understood why his friend chose a goat of all creatures for his pin. Whenever he asked, as well as when he suggested a different lapel in, Azazel would just laugh and claim it was good enough for him.

Despite their long history with one another, Oberon had never made Azazel a part of his work for the Order. The angel already had enough on his plate, the Faery King did not wish to burden his friend even more than

A low rumble came from his Troll Guards as Azazel approached the Oberon, but were quickly silenced by a quick gesture of the Faery King's hand. The Trolls were rather protective of Oberon, and while he appreciated their concern and service, they could be quite trying at times. More than once had he needed to order them to stand down over the smallest of incidents.

"That was a particularly ugly session. I almost thought Bjarte was actually going to attack Arien," Azazel sighed as he and Oberon walked side by side towards the Parliament building's front exit. "To think someone would blow their top like that over a comment about their beard."

"What did you expect? Bjarte is a dwarf after all, and they just _love_ their beards." Oberon said with a shake of his head, his mind going back to a "Will you stop by the Midsummer Palace for dinner?"

"Hah. I would love to, so long as you are not the one cooking this time around. My stomach is still recovering from that sorry excuse of a casserole you made the last time I came over," the angel beside him replied with an almost musical laugh.

"Come on now, it was not _that_ terrible," Oberon jokingly argued as they neared the exit, "you were only in the hospital for food poisoning for a week."

As soon as the two exited the Parlimentary building's great iron doors, Oberon frowned the instant he laid eyes on the small crowd stood outside the gates to the Parliamentary building. Members of the local constabulary were trying to keep them away from the gates, while the Parliamentary Guard stood ready to intervene if things got out of hand. Another crowd, another demonstration against the recent policies made by Parliament.

The demonstrators consisted of all sorts of demi-human species, however, seeing as how the City of Avalon was a coastal settlement that permitted outlanders in its walls, a small minority of humans and faunus were there as well. They stood separate from the demi-humans for the most part. Particularly the humans.

Even from this distance the Faery King could hear their angry voices shout at him and the Parliamentary Representatives as they left the building.

"More demonstrators. You would think these people had much better things to do than shout and wave signs at us," Azazel disdainfully scoffed at the sight of the crowd outside the gates. While Oberon shared the same sentiment as his friend, he allowed the crowds to gather and shout until their voices became hoarse. Taking violent action towards the crowds would only galvanise the people against him, and give more power to The Enemy.

 _'Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,'_ Oberon thought to himself as he and Azazel descended down the steps to the waiting car below. Quoting an old Valean play that he had taken a liking to.

Suddenly, Oberon heard a loud bang, followed shortly after by another, and felt as if he had been punched twice in the chest. Chaos erupted around him, as people ducked down or ran away. Azazel yelled something, what it was Oberon did not hear, and stood before him as though to shield him from harm. Of his Troll Guard, all four of them formed a diamond formation around him and raised their Avaloni Spears so to protect their monarch.

Looking down to where he felt as though he had been punched, Oberon noticed two holes had ripped the front of his suit jacket. Gingerly, with trembling hands, the King of Avalon opened up his jacket and looked in wide-eyed horror as he laid eyes on two bloodstained holes that had torn his shirt. Feeling weak all of a sudden, Oberon fell backwards, collapsing on the very steps of the Avaloni Parliament building.

As his vision darkened, and he became deaf to all that was happening around him, Oberon's mind tried to think of how or why this could happen before that too began to go blank.

* * *

 **Hope you liked the fight scene at the start, for I am still unsure whether I am good at them. Oh well, I have written it, so there is little else I can do about it now.**

 **For those wondering, the details of the conversation between Faen, Ozpin, Taupe, and Yasmin will be revealed over time. Do not fret.**

 **New Characters:**

 **Yasmin Doronlas: 'Yasmin' is Arabic for 'jasmine', a white petalled flower. 'Doronlas' is a combination of the Sindarin words 'Doron' meaning oak, and 'lass' means leaf. I spent two full months trying to properly decide what Yasmin would be like, and had a completely different plan for her character originally.** **Imagine her 'three-bladed throwing weapon' to be alike to a the Glaive in Warframe, which is the incorrect usage of the word I must say.**

 **Azazel Onyx: 'Azazel' has no specific meaning, as far as I am aware, but it is speculated to mean 'scapegoat' in Hebrew. 'Onyx' is a mineral with bands that range from all sorts of colours, though black and white are the most famous.**


	15. A New Face

**Author's Note:**

 **Well, RWBY Volume 7 has been a rocky ride. I have not seen Chapter 13 yet, but, if the last few Chapters are any indication of what is to come, it will make the Fall of Beacon look like a gentle walk through a children's playground. I will have to wait until Saturday to find out.**

 **On the subject of this chapter of 'Demi-Human Students of Beacon,' t** **his chapter is a calmer one, and more of a set-up for future chapters. It will also have its fair bit of exposition, but tell me if it is too much. Aimed to get this out before January ended, and would have come out sooner, but personal stuff got in the way.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **A New Face**

 _"Tragedy struck the people of Avalon in the early hours of Monday evening, when Oberon, Faery King of Avalon, was shot upon leaving a gathering of the Avaloni Parliament. Receiving two gunshot wounds to the chest by a gunman hiding in a crowd of demonstrators, the King was hurried to Angitia Hospital, but was declared dead after six hours spent in surgery."_

 _"The culprit, 32 year old Peregrin Slate, was immediately taken into custody by Avaloni Police, where he claims to have been acting on his own. Despite this, and though no individual or group has claimed responsibility, Avaloni officials are treating the incident as a terrorist attack, and are launching an intensive investigation. The late-King's wife, and newly declared Queen Regent of Avalon, Titania, had this to say-"_

With a press of a button, General James Ironwood of Atlas paused the news report right then and there.

"To think, our enemy would be bold enough to assassinate Oberon," Ironwood mumbled to himself as he sat alone in his office in Atlas Academy. The news of Oberon's death had been the hottest topics of all news outlets across the world for the last two days now. While he had not been an incredibly famous person, or a particularly well-liked person in certain circles of society, the manner of his death had really shocked all of Remnant.

Even then, no matter what wild accusations or theories people made up regarding Oberon's death, nothing would be more shocking than what the Order had gone out of its way to cover up.

For Oberon's death had not only been because of the gunshots he received, which were fatal by themselves. Upon the bullets entry into Oberon's body, a tiny capsule within the bullet's tip cracked open and released its contents. The contents being a highly virulent poison, one produced by a deadly fish native to the oceans of Southern Anima, that slowly killed Oberon as the surgeons fought to keep him alive.

The Enemy had gone out of their way to ensure Oberon's demise, for even if the surgeons knew of the poison's presence, there was nothing that they could do to counter it. For, despite extensive research, there was no known antidote for the poison that ultimately killed the Faery King.

All that was just one more secret he and the Order had to keep from the rest of the world. All for the greater good, as Ironwood had to remind himself for the fifth time today.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ironwood stood up from his desk and opened a compartment hidden in one of his office's walls. His predecessor had commissioned its addition to the office two years before it became Ironwood's, and while he did not fully approve of its inclusion, the general saw no reason to have it removed. With a stony face, he took out two of its contents, a drinking glass and a half-empty bottle of Caledonian Whisky. Taking a seat back at his desk the Altesian General poured some of the bottle's contents into the glass and quickly downed all of it.

Ironwood rarely drank, but when he did, the occasions were usually serious and never something to be celebrated.

Now, James and Oberon had not been friends, and had never looked eye to eye with each other on several matters. The latter's status as a monarch being one among them. But his death saddened the general on an emotional level. Not only that, but on a practical level, the Faery King's death also meant the Order's influence in Avalon had been significantly reduced and their operations thrown into disarray.

As he sat there, Ironwood's mind began to race, as it had when he first heard the news, and wondered just what the Queen planned for Remnant after having assassinated a world leader such as Oberon.

There was the possibility that the Enemy killed Oberon just to eliminate another member of the Order, for they had done so several times before, but that was beyond unlikely in Ironwood's eyes. Could it be that the Queen intended to have other important governmental figures across Remnant killed to weaken and destabilise the world? Was the loss of someone such as Oberon meant to divert the Order's attention and resources to Avalon, while the Queen and her forces struck in other locations? Just what was the Enemy planning, and where did they aim to strike next?

It was as Ironwood deliberated over the numerous possibilities that ran through his head, that an idea hit him with the force of a sledgehammer swung by a Beringel. There was one perfect, almost irresistible target that the Enemy could go after, and if they did, it could prove more destructive than the killing of a single person. The Vytal Festival.

While the City of Vale was nowhere nearly as hectic as Avalon had recently become, certain happenings there indicated that something big was about to happen.

The increase in robberies of Dust shops in Vale had not gone unnoticed, and that the Dust was the sole objective of the thieves was enough to set off alarm bells in Ironwood's head. In fact, on the same night as Oberon's assassination, the White Fang were revealed to be absconding with as much Dust as they could get their hands on after trying to steal an entire shipment of Dust at Vale's docks. What made matters worse was that the notorious Roman Torchwick, of all people, had been sighted working with the terrorists.

Latest intelligence reports on the White Fangs inner workings reported that the radical ideology that the White Fang now followed demanded its members do not cooperate with Humans, or even Demi-Humans. Any 'cooperation' with either was meant to be one attained after asserting the Faunus's dominance over these 'lesser species'. So why were they not only working with Roman, a human criminal, but also taking orders from him as well?

Whether the Enemy had a hand behind this, Ironwood could not determine, but he erred on the side of caution and would keep an eye out for any further White Fang activities in Vale. The Vytal Festival was too important of an event to let a group such as the White Fang run around the city that would host it.

In the face of all these threats to Remnant's peace and people, what they needed to do was to show not just the Enemy, but the people of Remnant, that they were strong and protected. To demonstrate the power he and the people of Remnant had thanks to their unity. That, by killing one of their number, all they had accomplished was steeling the Order's conviction to fight against them.

An idea began to formulate inside of Ironwood's mind. Getting back onto his feet, the general activated his office's holographic-display table, and produced images of the latest developments to the Atlas Military's android soldiers. The Altesian Knight-200 and the Altesian Paladin-290. Final tests of these new robots had been completed over a month ago, and were now being mass-produced and distributed to all of Atlas's military installations. In fact, every Altesian Airship currently within the Kingdom of Atlas had replaced their complements of AK-130s with the newer models.

Sure a few of the prototype Paladins had been stolen by an unknown party, but Ironwood was sure his men would return them back to Atlas before anything could be done with them.

Perhaps the time was now ripe to officially unveil these new robotic warriors and mech-suits to the rest of Remnant. In fact, Vale and the Vytal Festival might just be the right setting to officially reveal them to the rest of the world. Weighing the pros and cons of this new plan of his, Ironwood finally came to a decision after pondering on it for a good couple of minutes.

It was going to be a hard call, and he sensed an argument somewhere in his near future, but this was the right decision to make. The only decision that Ironwood believed could work against the Enemy.

* * *

Elsewhere in the world, there were others whose minds were also occupied by dire thoughts of the future.

Within Team JNPR's dorm, Grey stood with her team, her back leaning against the wall beside the dorm's window. Also with them were Teams RWBY and JNPR.

All of RWBY were here, even Blake, who had finally returned to her team and Beacon after quite an eventful night in Vale. Of FFOG, everyone but Faen was in the room with them. Finally, the members of JNPR present were Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. Jaune's absence from their present company was the reason why the group had gathered together in JNPR's dorm.

For today was to be when Jaune's place in Beacon Academy would be decided.

Most of them had given Jaune some last minute pointers or something more substantial to get him prepared for the upcoming test he would soon face. People like Ruby, Pyrrha, and Friesian gave him advice and outlined some tricks he could try. For her part, Grey made him a hearty lunch so Jaune could have enough energy for whatever test or duel the Headmaster had in mind. She was not the only one, as Nora convinced Ren to make for Jaune a stack of the 'Energy Pancakes' that she ate in preparation for big events such as these.

JNPR's team leader greatly appreciated all of their efforts, but his nerves were obviously beginning to get the better of him. When the others tried to teach him those lastminute tips of theirs, Jaune was messing them up. Hells, he had only gotten through half of the lunch Grey made for him, and a quarter of one 'Energy Pancake', before he set down his cutlery. The excuse that left his mouth was that he did not have much of an appetite at the time.

He could be forgiven, though. This test would determine what his future in this Academy would be, so it was understandable why he would feel that way. It did not stop Nora from forcing him to consume the rest of the pancake he had started eating, however.

Nora could be pretty terrifying if she was motivated enough.

None had fretted over Jaune more than Pyrrha, who, quite amusing, triple-checked everything before her team leader left; from his stance, his armour, to even whether or not he had tied his shoes correctly. She would have quadruple checked him had the rest of them not pulled Pyrrha away from Jaune, and convinced her Jaune was as ready as he could be.

After all of their preparations and attempts to encourage Jaune were done, a text message from Headmaster Ozpin himself notified Jaune where his test would take place, and so Jaune left for his test. All the rest of them could do now was wait for the blonde human male's return. _If_ he would return.

Waiting was probably the hardest part of all this, and, if something did not happen so, Grey was sure she would have a breakdown or something.

As if on cue, something did happen.

"So... does anyone have anything to talk about?" Ren spoke up, surprisingly. He was not much with words, but when did speak, he usually said something smart. Heeding his words, the group of assembled students steadily began to talk among themselves, searching for any topic to occupy themselves with as they waited for Jaune's return.

They actually had a fair few subjects to talk about, for the week thus far had been eventful, but not entirely in a good way. Two of the most noticeable, while still things somewhat related to the group, mostly involved the members of FFOG and RWBY. The both of them happening two nights ago.

First of all, the entirety of Team RWBY had been reunified, after a fashion, and a couple secrets held close to one tea member's chest had been revealed to them all. The event that brought Team RWBY back together was actually the talk of the Academy for the last two days now, although, the full truth of what happened that night known to none except a few, the members in the dorm right now among them.

When Grey learnt of what they had done that night, she could hardly believe it, and even when hearing it from RWBY's own lips she still struggled to understand.

What everyone knew was that members of Team RWBY, specifically Ruby and Blake, had interrupted a big Dust heist that was being perpetrated by none other than Roman Torchwick _and_ the White Fang. Learning that had raised the eyebrows of everyone in FFOG and JNPR when RWBY got to that part of their explanation of that night's events yestreday. They had not been alone in the endeavour for a monkey faunus, Sun Wukong, from Shade Academy had helped Blake and Ruby. What no one else apart from the people in this room and the Beacon staff knew about was that a fourth individual had assisted in the effort.

To Grey's great surprise, and that of the others in their group, it had been that odd Penny girl RWBY had spoken of.

Ruby's explanation of what Penny had done could be summed up as her shouting the words pew, pow, and awesome. Asking that monkey faunus, who had gone off to reunite with the rest of his team, was little better as he more or less spouted the same things as Ruby. In the end, everyone turned to Blake for a more coherent answer.

What she told them was even more unbelievable, for the way she described Penny made her out to be even more powerful than anyone here. Using her weapon, apparently numerous floating blade-guns produced from a backpack according to both Blake and Ruby, Penny had been able to take out numerous White Fang in a matter of moments. What was even more staggering, was how Penny supposedly sliced two Bullheads in half with an energy beam, and pulled a third down using her blades.

Penny did say she was going to be a contestant in the Vytal Festival's tournament, if Grey remembered Yang's words correctly. On the occasion she was, well, the werewolf felt nothing but pity for whosoever had to fight this girl.

The secret that Team RWBY divulged to the two other teams was the truth about Blake. More specifically what Blake was and had been.

To the shock of almost all members of FFOG and JNPR, Blake removed her black bow in front of them, and revealed the black cat ears that rested on top of her head. She was a faunus. Grey knew that there was something up with Blake, and made those thoughts known to Faen one time, but she had not expected her to be this. It certainly explained why she caught a measure of cat in Blake's scent, and maybe she should have figured that out earlier. Oh well, the secret was out, and she did not think any less about Blake for being a faunus.

Blake being a faunus might be something Grey took no issue with, but, her having been a White Fang member was absolutely something Grey felt pretty iffy about. The White Fang had not affected Grey's life in any way, yet their violent acts against the humans and demi-humans had seen them earn her animosity.

In response to the obvious thoughts that played out in their minds, Blake went on to assure them all that she had left the White Fang, and devoted herself to bringing faunus and the other races together in another way. How she could do that while studying in an Academy, the werewolf had no clue, though her dedication to that goal was admirable. Overall, Grey was willing to have Blake around, for she sort of missed having that bow-wearing bookworm around anyway.

Her teammates's reaction and opinions towards Blake and her being a faunus were varied.

For his part, Faen had been rather neutral, claiming to have accepted the knowledge of Blake's true identity after having been told it in a conversation with Ruby. The elf went so far as to say he was alright with Blake being among them, as long as she did not disappear on everyone again.

In a similar vein to Faen, Akagi stated that she was fine with Blake and her former involvement with the White Fang, so long as she spoke the truth that is. Saying that, Akagi went on to claim she would turn Blake into a shamisen if her rejection of the White Fang and their ideals were not sincere. Grey was not sure what to make of her kitsune teammate's words, and assumed she said it as a sort of threatening joke. If it was an actual threat Odori was willing to carry out, well, Grey hoped for Blake's sake that she did not give Akagi reason to.

Of all her team, it was Friesian who seemed the most conflicted about the truth behind Blake. It was understandable, given his own history with the organisation, and that history had really shaken up whatever relationship the two shared prior to this revelation. Grey saw it in the way Friesian would send Blake cautious sidelong glances every now and again.

Blake had taken note of this too, and the two went on to have a private discussion to work out the issue between the both of them. What was said had never been revealed to anyone, but it appeared Friesian and Blake had formed a sort of understanding. The dullahan was still a little tense around the cat faunus, and there was a curtness in his voice whenever he addressed her, nevertheless, the pair still got along. Somewhat, and with a little unease if Grey had to be frank.

Well, at least the two were okay with being in the same room as each other. She was even more thankful their situation had not turned into something alike to what was going on with Faen and Jaune.

Then there was the other, more personal event that had happened on the same night as RWBY's scuffle with Torchwick and the White Fang.

That evening, Faen had made the startling decision to announce a new face had been added to FFOG's team roster. Her name was Yasmin Doronlas, and she was an elf-dracon Demi-Human from Avalon, just like herself and Faen. During their team discussion Faen told the three other members of FFOG how he had first met Yasmin, and to say it was dramatic would be understating it.

From what Faen told the rest of them, Yasmin approached him when he was done training

Earlier that day, Faen was approached by an elf-dracon hybrid demi-human named Yasmin, and the two duelled each other to a draw. After that, Professor Taupe had come along and took the pair to Professor Ozpin, who had the elf-dracon instated as FFOG's fifth team member.

That was an honestly brief summary of what happened, and Grey had a feeling there were things that Faen was leaving out for some reason. Especially when it came to the reasoning why Ozpin chose to include Yasmin to their team roster. It was a gut feeling, and she could see that her elven best friend was burdened by something other than Yasmin that night. Whatever his reasons for leaving out information, if her gut was right, Grey trusted him to tell her and the others in time.

As with the others, Grey was still coming to grips with how FFOG had been augmented by the addition of one more team member without any prior warning. The same could be said for their new addition's personality and attitude towards them all, which did not help the situation whatsoever. Honestly, it was like dealing with a really stuck-up female version of Faen.

Speaking of Faen, Grey scanned JNPR's dorm for the third time, and shook her head slightly at the elf's absence from this gathering. As this entire matter involved Jaune, her best friend had done his darnedest to not have anything to do with it whatsoever. Even when Grey had personally insisted that he at least say a few words of encouragement to the human, Faen stubbornly refused to do anything. Instead, Faen had gone off to gods know where to concern himself with a 'more worthwhile distraction.' His words.

He really could be an asshole from time to time.

Faen had not been alone when he left, as FFOG's latest member had gone with him. A fact that drew out a tonne of anxiety from Grey, Friesian, and Akagi.

"You think he's okay?" Friesian whispered to Grey as she watched Ruby and Weiss have another discussion about the uses of Dust. Looking over to the dullahan, more specifically the head he kept hanging from his belt, the werewolf saw he was using the fingers of his left hand to massage the knuckles of his right. A behavioural habit of Friesian's that gave away whenever he felt apprehensive of something.

"I'm sure he is," Grey tried to reassure her teammate, her words as much for herself as they were for Friesian. Though, she guessed it was not just Jaune that the dullahan was talking about. While she tried to come off as calm and confident, a feeling of trepidation lingered within Grey as she thought of what both her male friends were doing right now.

"We shouldn't be leaving Faen with _her_. She might try something, like challenge Faen to another duel, and actually try to kill him this time," Akagi viciously butted into the conversation all of a sudden. Her voice dripped with contempt and her teeth clenched not out of anger, but of pure, unadulterated fury. Grey had no doubts as to just who it was these extreme feelings were directed to right now.

When Akagi first met their newest team member, a strong mutual dislike for each other instantly blossomed between Akagi and Yasmin. It was something that just sort of clicked right in the moment they met one another. To be fair, Yasmin had come across as rather uppity and haughty, to Grey at least, so the werewolf could see why Akagi might come to dislike the elf-dracon. Yasmin, being who she was, took Akagi's dislike like anyone else with a demeanour like hers and reciprocated it. There was, however, one other reason Grey believed might explain their mutual sense of loathing.

That reason being none other than Faen himself.

"Good grief. This feckin' thing again?" Friesian groaned at Akagi's comment. The dullahan did not distrust or dislike Yasmin to the same extent as the rest of them did, but he found the whole thing between Akagi and Yasmin to be tiresome, and wished for no part in it. "Give it a break already, Akagi. You've been whining about it for the past two days now."

"We know nothing about Yasmin, and what we do know is too little I say," Akagi hotly shot back.

"Do you really mean to whine about it forever? Faen says she's here to stay, as does the Headmaster, so there's nothing we can really do about it." Friesian continued to argue with the kitsune

That did nothing to put a stopper on Akagi's mood or opinions, if that had been his intent. In fact, his words only seemed to darken Akagi's mood, as a shadow appeared to come over the eyes of their kitsune teammate. She might also have unconsciously activated her Semblance, for, despite being right next to her, Grey could not smell her all of a sudden.

"That's it, I need to go find him and make sure that bitch isn't doing anything to him!" Akagi tried to make for the door, but Grey was quick to grab hold of the kitsune's arm and pulled her back. Friesian looked as though he were about to do the same, yet, she had beaten her to the punch.

"You are going stay _here_ ," Grey hissed at Akagi out of annoyance with her teammate.

No argument against her came from Akagi, nor did she attempt to physically defy Grey. The kitsune did, however, cast an unsettling look her way. It was unsettling to Grey in how intense the look Akagi shot her was, and for a brief instant, the werewolf believed a manic light flashed through the kitsune's eyes.

Driven to do so by her Werewolf instincts, Grey responded to Akagi's look by wrinkled her nose, perking her ears up as far as they could reach, and showing her sharp canines off to Akagi. That actually appeared to cow Akagi into line, as the kitsune's fox ears went flat, her tails lowered, and she averted her eyes from Grey's. Seeing this, the werewolf cast a look to the rest of the room, before speaking once again.

"C'mon, guys. We have company with us right now. If you want, we can have this conversation later, let's have it somewhere else and somewhere more private." Grey muttered to her two teammates, nodding her head towards the others in the room to emphasis her point. Those who stood in the dorm with FFOG had overheard the demi-human's discussion, as well as seen how Grey had pulled Akagi back, and were trying their best to look as though they had not.

Really, Team RWBY's missing teammate problem had to be resolved, only for FFOG to have a problem with a new teammate. The universe had a very messed up way of screwing with people.

Hells below, she was starting to sound like Faen with all this fretting about everything she was doing right now.

"Fine, fine." Akagi grumbled to herself as she forcefully pulled her arm from Grey's grasp, and glowered at the floor with crossed arms out of frustration

Grey could not help but shake her head at the way the kitsune was acting, as well as the reasons for doing so.

When Faen formally introduced Yasmin to the rest of the team the morning after telling them of her, it was clear to everyone what Yasmin's thoughts of them were. The whole lot of them were beneath her, it could be seen in the way Yasmin looked and spoke to them. All of them except Faen. For some reason, one that Yasmin adamantly and frustratingly refused to elaborate on, the only person she considered worth her time was Grey's best friend and team leader.

This brought Akagi and Yasmin into conflict with each, for the both of them had an interest in Faen, and were completely unwilling to share with the other. What lay behind Yasmin's interest in Faen was, as mentioned before, unknown and as enigmatic as the elf-dracon herself. On the other hand, Grey had an idea as to just why Akagi was acting all territorial when it came to Faen, which was better than what she could say about Yasmin.

Her best friend and Akagi spent much of their time together, as a result, the both of them had become rather attached to one another. Becoming the second true friend that Faen had in his life, perhaps even more was going on between them. Of course, if she knew Faen, the elf would outright deny or brush it off if he were ever confronted by such a claim. Akagi once revealed she never had any true friends until meeting the rest of FFOG, sort of similar to Grey and Faen childhood situation but far less fortunate, and while she hid it behind a very convincing smile, the kitsune must have been lonely for most her life.

Now, Grey was no expert in psychology, but she was damn sure living without a soul to call a friend should negatively affect a person in more ways than just being lonely. If she had to take a guess, Akagi had probably grown emotionally attached to Faen, and greatly disliked when someone seemed to be taking him away from her. That was just a guess, however, and Grey could very much be wrong. Who knows, maybe the werewolf was looking into things too much.

Maybe Akagi and Yasmin seemed to loath each other because of how much of a bitch the latter was.

Whatever the case, things were only made even more complicated due in part because of Faen's decision to spend time away from his team and with Yasmin instead, but also to listen to whatever whispered words she had to say to him. Faen had already confided to the rest of FFOG why he was doing this, but it did not make things any less difficult than it already was. Grey honestly hoped this would not negatively affect FFOG in the long-run.

Some more time passed, where the present members of FFOG, RWBY, and JNPR tried to pass the time as calmly as possible. In that time, Weiss and Friesian had gone out to make the rest of them some drinks, though the dullahan was weirdly insistent that they have some hot chocolate instead of Weiss' offer of Altesian coffee. Pyrrha, who had been in a state of great anxiety since Jaune left the dorm, drank two whole mugs of hot chocolate before any of them could have a chance to drink one. The only person in the room who appeared calm were Blake and Ren, while the rest of them were a slew of other emotions.

After what felt like hours of waiting, while it had only been about thirty minutes of so, Grey heard footsteps in the corridor outside. While it could very well be just some random students whose names Grey could no for the life of her remember, she became alert and turned her eyes towards the door. She was not alone, for shortly after, Akagi and Blake followed suit. Grey could pick up two pairs of feet; one of which she recognised to be Jaune's, the other the werewolf was uncertain of.

"What is it?" Yang asked her, having taken notice of how Grey, Akagi, and Blake, had become alert all of a sudden.

"I think I can hear Jaune coming back here," Grey responded as she strained her ears in an effort to make out if she was correct. The moment those words left her mouth, the others in JNPR's dorm sat up or got to their feet in the blink of an eye. None were faster than Pyrrha, who leapt from her bed faster than a speeding bullet, and was at the dorm before anyone else.

She must be _really_ worried for Jaune if she was acting so out of character, at least in Grey's opinion.

Both pairs of feet now reached the door to the dorm, and stopped right in front of it. The electronic lock to the dorm clicked open, and, lo and behold, there stood Jaune Arc.

The blonde-haired human boy looked pretty winded, and he almost stumbled forward as he seemed to tiredly open the door with one hand. Grey, and surely most of the others in the dorm, opened her mouth to say something to welcome him back and ask him how his test had gone. However, before any of them could say a word, Jaune keeled forward as though all of his energy had left him.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried out as she hurried caught her team leader right before he could fall onto her. Upon closer inspection, the human was still very much conscious, but he appeared too exhausted to do anything. Worry began to dance through Grey's thoughts as she puzzled over what could have happened during Jaune's test to make him like this.

"Good afternoon students. May I come in?" A calm voice politely asked them from the outside the door. None of the students in the dorm needed to look at its owner to know just who they were, for they instantly recognised that it belonged to none other than Headmaster Ozpin. Such was the surprise generated by the Headmaster's unexpected presence, plenty of the students almost dropped whatever they had been holding. That included Pyrrha, who nearly let Jaune collapse onto the floor when she momentarily let go of him.

Good thing she had a damn fine reaction time, as Pyrrha was quick enough to grab hold of him before he fell face first onto the floor. Or her bust. Grey could only imagine how embarrassed the two of them would be if that actually happened.

"Professor Ozpin?!" All the occupants of the room exclaimed their surprise as soon as they laid eyes on the Headmaster of Beacon, who was calmly waiting at the doorstep of Team JNPR's dorm. Quickly gathering themselves, the lot of them stepped away from the door and allowed the Headmaster Ozpin inside.

"My apologies, but Mister Arc has been through quite a strenuous experience." The Headmaster stated as he stepped through the doorway and closed it behind him. Seeming to perceive their anxiety regarding Jaune's physical state, he continued speaking. "He will be quite alright. I suggest you all give him some time to rest, and maybe a mug of hot chocolate once he does."

That was good, very good. Still, there was the other reason that all eleven of them had worried over for the last thirty minutes or so.

"Professor Ozpin, sir, did Jaune pass his test or..." Ruby began, but failed to finish her question. All the students knew what the red-hooded human was going to say, and they intently looked to Ozpin for the answer.

"Oh there is no need for you all to worry. Mister Arc passed with flying colours," Ozpin swiftly said in response to Ruby's unfinished question. Hearing this, Grey and the others let out a collective sigh of relief. Grey would have given Jaune a congratulatory slap on the back if he were not exhausted as hell right now. Oh well, that was something to look forward to one the human had properly recovered.

Still, there was something Grey and the others wanted to know.

"Professor, can you tell us what Jaune did in his test? Did he really have to fight someone?" It was Ren who voiced the student's shared question, and, once more they all focused on the Headmaster. To their bewilderment, he let out a light chuckle before finally answering Ren's question.

"Why, your team leader fought me, Mister Ren."

Now that _really_ caught all of the students off-guard.

As part of his test to remain in Beacon or not, Jaune was meant to duel someone. That had been made clear to them when this test of Jaune's was privately announced to the students. They had all thought Jaune's opponent would be another Beacon first-year, an upperclassman, or even one of the professors, not the Headmaster of Beacon. Immediately these thoughts raised questions as to just how Jaune could have passed his test, for there was no way he could have possibly beaten Headmaster Ozpin of all people.

Jaune had greatly improved since he first set foot on Beacon, that was an undeniable fact. But, as mentioned before, it was impossible that he could have bested the Headmaster.

Ozpin apparently picked up on their confusion, or had already anticipated it, and proceeded to explain himself.

"At first, I most certainly did plan for Mister Arc to duel another student. However, I decided to take a more personal hand in testing if Mister Arc should remain here in Beacon. I also hoped the test would unlock his Semblance, sadly, that was not the case." As the Headmaster spoke, all ten students silently listened to him with undivided attention, taking in every word he said. "Now, the test involved more than just his ability to fight. I hope you are all aware that being a Huntsman takes more than just know how to swing a blade or shoot a gun."

Grey guessed the Headmaster was right about that last part. The whole bunch of them were meant to become the defenders of the people of Remnant, and the best were not some oaf with a one-digit braincell count who got themselves killed over a simple stupid decision. Had they made him do a written exam first then, to gauge his intelligence? Because that was what Grey was getting from what the Headmaster had said.

"Before we began his duel, I proposed two options Mister Arc could take. The first option; I offered to call off the duel, modify Mister Arc transcripts so they were more convincing, and only let him remain so long as he pledged to constantly better himself as a fighter and leader. If he continued to underperform, or not meet my expectations, he would be removed from Beacon." For a third time today, the Headmaster was able surprise them all. He was not done, however, and the man continued to speak. "The second option I gave to Mister Arc was that we commence with the duel, and that his place be decided by his performance in it. In the event that I found his performance acceptable, I would guarantee his placement in Beacon for the next four years. If not, Mister Arc would be expelled immediately after the duel."

Now those were some real shockers right there. Now, Grey could see which of those two options Jaune had chosen just by looking at the state of him. Thing was, why exactly had the Headmaster given those two choices to Jaune? What did they have to do with being a Huntsman?

"Now, I was prepared to let Mister Arc remain in Beacon if he chose either of the two options, but, I wished to see how he would act when presented with them." Headmaster Ozpin continued, resting both hands on the top of his cane as he did. "Mister Arc mulled over his choices for, hmm, almost two minutes, until finally coming to a decision. As I am sure you can all guess, he chose the second choice."

"So... what did giving Jaune those options have to do with being a Huntsman?" Nora asked Headmaster Ozpin, whilst also scratching the side of her head in confusion. Thank goodness she was not the only person who was confused as hell.

"Being a Huntsman or Huntress is more than just a job, students. It is a promise to the people of Remnant. A promise that you will focus all of your power to safeguard them from the threat of the Grimm." Headmaster Ozpin replied, speaking in a sagely tone. "At times, Huntsmen will be confronted with situations where one route seems the easiest, but will have long lasting repercussions if taken. Meanwhile another is more difficult and filled with the unknown. The two choices I gave Mister Arc was to give him an idea of what those situations were like, and I am glad he conquered his fear and chose the one he did."

No one said anything once the Headmaster was done speaking. They all had something to think about after having heard what he had to say, it was after all some pretty heavy stuff to drop on them all. Stuff that made them all think about their future as Huntsmen and Huntresses, or at least, that was what Grey believed they were all doing. It was certainly what Grey was doing anyway.

Damn, she had been doing a whole lot more self-analyzing here in Beacon than she had done in her life before. Felt really weird when she tried to think about it.

"I will leave you all be to think on it. Classes will be starting again on Monday, just so you are aware. Have a good day students." With that, the Headmaster turned from the students and left through the door without another word. Leaving the ten students, and one conscious but barely responsive Jaune, alone in JNPR's dorm together.

"Well, thank goodness all this business has been cleared up." Weiss remarked once they were all sure the Headmaster had moved on from the dorm.

"Same here, Glyph Girl. Same here," Friesian spoke, adding to what the Schnee Heiress had just said. Addressing the white-haired girl by the nickname he liked call her in private. He seemed only to realise what he said after pausing for a couple seconds, but made no attempt to correct himself or apologise, and just shrugged his shoulders upon noticing the annoyed look fixed on Weiss' face.

"'Huh, 'Glyph Girl.' Mind if I use that one from time to time?" Yang asked of the dullahan, a wicked smirk on the blonde's face, probably because she was imagining the possible situations she could use the nickname played out in her mind. That heightened the levels of irritation Weiss was feeling right now, which Grey could see as the human locked a chilling, narrow-eyed glare on both Yang and her dullahan teammate. "Yeesh, chill out with that glare of yours, Weiss Queen. What are you trying to do, turn me into an ice statue with it?"

That ticked Weiss off enough for her to start yelling at both Yang and Friesian, her face flush out of annoyance with them. It was not terribly serious, and there was no need at all for Grey to get involved.

Turning her gaze from the three, Grey looked over to see what the others were up to. Pyrrha had placed Jaune on his bed, and it looked as though he might be coming too. Akagi resumed leaning against the wall beside the windowsill, and now had a distant look in her eyes as she looked at the grey clouds gathering in the sky outside. Blake was similar in how quiet she was, but was stood beside Yang with an inpenetrable look on her face as she watched Weiss rail against Yang and Friesian. Ruby, Ren, and Nora, stood together and entered a conversation with each other, which Grey decided to join in on.

"So, what do you guys think we should do now?" Ruby asked loud enough for everyone in the dorm to hear her. It was a good question, and Grey immediately began to try and think of what they could possibly get up to now they had the rest of the day to waste away. As she did, Grey slowly became aware of a light pattering of rain on the window that was growing in frequency.

"We could go and study," Ren suggested to the rest of them, although, none of them acted as though they had heard from them. Studying during the semester break, as if.

"Food? I could run over to the cafeteria and pick up some stuff for all of us," Grey seized the opportunity to propose to her friends. All that waiting and talking made her more hungry than usual. Unlike with Ren, her words brought out more of a reaction from the others, but not ones of great excitement as Grey had expected she would get. Which was complete bullshit as far the werewolf was concerned, for how could these people not be excited about food?

"I say we have a party, or at least have a huge cake topped with an adorable sloth to celebrate fearless leader's victory over Headmaster Ozpin!" Nora laid out her own idea, which was not that bad, if Grey had to be honest with herself. However, she did have some questions about the sloth Nora had mentioned. Did she want one of those edible cake decorations, or an actual living sloth?

It was probably for the best that she did not ask so to avoid getting a weird answer as Grey half-expected she would.

"Nora, that's... not-not what happened," Jaune called over to Nora from where he lay on his bed. Looking over to him, it appeared the human had recovered enough to sit up and correct his boisterous teammate, before collapsng back onto his bed with an audible thump. It must have been one hell of a fight between him and Ozpin if he was like this right now.

"A party doesn't sound bad," Yang joined in, all the while still having Weiss indignantly squawking at her. Seeing that she was being ignored by both Yang and Friesian, who had now shifted their attention from Weiss and to the conversation Grey was in, the heiress let out a low grumble and joined them. "Anyone here know where we can get some part poppers and other stuff like that?"

"Shouldn't we still keep this all to ourselves?" Blake piped up from where she stood behind Yang. "Wouldn't people start questioning why we're having this big party?

"C'mon, Blake, we can make something up to hide why we're having a party." Yang nonchalantly responded to her teammate as she wrapped her arm around the cat Faunus's shoulders, and dragged her into the group. Blake seemed to instinctively flinch at the contact and looked ready to bolt out of Yang's arm, but ultimately allowed herself to be brought over to them. Now where had she seen someone act like that before?

"Ooh, I know a good cake recipe! So we can totally have a cake in our party!" Ruby ecstatically jumped in, the little human bouncing up and down on her tippy-toes with her hand raised high over her head.

Despite the positive energy that began to take over the dorm and those occupying it, Grey found herself wondering about Faen and where he was right now. No word had come from him since he had left, and while she knew he could take care of himself whenever in a spot of trouble, she worried for him nonetheless. Since coming to Beacon, that too had seen an increase, and Grey was really not liking it. After a few moments of silent pondering, the werewolf gave up and returned her focus to the friends that were with her right now, and started to help them with the party they were organising.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Academy, Faen looked outside the library window as the rain began to fall fast and hard. Students caught in the rain began to hurry to whatever shelter they could find, using whatever they currently held to shield them from the increasingly horrendous deluge. It had come rather suddenly and quite unexpectedly.

The forecast claimed today was going to be another sunny day, but, the current scene before him said otherwise. His parents always treated an unexpected bout of rain in summer as some omen of future misfortune. Faen did not put too much stock in this superstitious belief; however, a piece of him hoped it was not a portent of bad luck out of genuine fear of the possibility. He already had a lot on his plate already, and he had no wish to see more added to it.

Turning from the window, the white-haired elf strode over to a table, three hard-backed books held in his hands, and sat himself down on a chair where he had previously laid his coat on. Reclining on a chair across from him with an open book in hand was Yasmin Doronlas. The pair had just come out of another sparring match with each other, one meant to definitively determine who the better fighter was, and it had actually ended in a close victory for Faen. He did not celebrate the occasion, for his victory was won by the slimmest of margins.

How slim?

The length of a fingernail, that's how much it was.

As with their first duel, Faen and Yasmin had proved to be on par with each other in regards to their combat prowess. Because of this, Faen had been forced to perform more daring actions and tap into his Aura reserves more frequently every time the two fought to achieve victory. In the last fight Faen had been forced to catch her axeblade with his hand, and even used her Aura to rapidly launch himself at her whilst in midair.

They had sparred the day before, twice in fact, but those had ended in the same way as their first fight against each other. An indecisive draw that ended with neither a victor nor a loser. It was partly because of this reason they fought today, and why the two resolved to duel each other tomorrow, if they had the chance to anyway.

All this time spent with Yasmin was not due to a growing fondness Faen had for the elf-dracon. It was done simply because Faen did not trust her to wander the Academy on her own, no matter what Headmaster Ozpin said.

Sure the Headmaster himself claimed that Yasmin was a person who could be trusted; nothing could easily assuage Faen's suspicions of her.

Still, despite his lingering distrust of her, a strange sort of bond was forming between Faen and Yasmin. One forming from the shared desire to prove they were the better combatant. The two of them were not friends, that was a fact they both made clear to one another and wholeheartedly agreed on. What the two were was something more along the lines of... rivals, though not in an intense enemies or arch-nemesis kind of way, but primarily in a way of warriors who had found a match for their skills.

As with their odd relationship, the fact he had found someone who almost perfectly matched his skills as a combatant was just as strange to him. Never had he wanted, or thought, he would face a true equal in the ways of the warrior. He read stories, watched shows, and heard tales of warriors would repeatedly battle against an equally skilled opponent, yet ultimately fail to determine who the better between the two was.

Had such a thing truly happened to him of all people? Faen was sure it had, but the concept was hard for him to fully grasp.

Only one other had pushed him as much as Yasmin did now. His Dwarven nemesis from back in Vigil. However, unlike when he duelled Yasmin, there was a clear difference between his and the Dwarf's skills. A difference Faen had to begrudgingly admit was not stacked in his favour. That, and one other factor that marked his spars with Yasmin as different when compared to those with the Dwarf.

On every occasion Faen and Yasmin duelled, a thrill began to take hold of him the longer their fights were drawn out. Sure he felt varying levels of elation during fights, but duelling with Yasmin was a special case that brought an even greater degree of it out of him. Perhaps it was because of the aforementioned possibility of being equals in a fight? Was it, maybe, their Elven blood?

That last one certainly seemed to be what influenced Yasmin's decision to hang around him so much. One only had to observe how she looked on others, be they demi-humans, humans, or faunus, to see that. Yasmin treated anyone other than himself and Headmaster Ozpin with a level of disdain, albeit rather begrudgingly to the latter. It was obvious that the Elf-Dracon believed herself better than everyone else, but seeing as he, apparently the only other person of Elven lineage studying in Beacon, was the only person she showed a modicum of respect to, Faen suspected a level of xenophobia to exist within Yasmin.

Now, the elf did not wish to make such a weighty assumption about her, but he could not help it. Especially if such an attitude would affect FFOG's cohesion in battle.

On the subject of their Elven blood, Faen had taken note of another thing about Yasmin during his observations of her. To his surprise, he noticed Yasmin seemed to put a great deal of emphasis on the Elven aspect of her heritage. Sure she was part-Draconic, a fact that Faen felt compelled to give her some respect for being, yet, the young woman before him appeared resolved to focus more on being Elven than Dracon. He never once heard her speak of the Dracon part of her family, and when the Headmaster spoke of her being an Elf-Dracon hybrid that night, Yasmin fidgeted in her seat for a second before returning to her usual cool expression.

The Demi-Human race of Dracons was considerably older and more advanced when compared to most others on Remnant, which included the Elves, so it was a curious choice she was making. He had heard stories, not that he fully believed all of them, of Dracons not being able to shut up about their proud history and greatness of their culture. The question of why she chose to take this course of action intrigued Faen. It tugged at his mind, begging for him to search for an answer to it.

Faen shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. He already had a tonne of crap to deal with, and had been dragged into several other peoples' affairs already. There was no way he was adding this to the pile, as much as he felt tempted to.

Looking to Yasmin herself, Faen took a moment to examine her. She wore her full combat outfit, with the exception of her veil-like facemask and her tailcoat, the former she had put away in her newly acquired locker while her coat had been put on the back of her chair. Apart from that, and the fact she was cleaner, little else was different about Yasmin from when he first met curious of all was the previously mentioned book she was reading from. It was honestly one of the few possessions of hers not geared towards combat or survival in the wild.

The name of this book? Path to Excellence.

Faen was _very_ familiar with his book, as his family kept a copy of their own back home. This book was written by an Elven scholar thirty years ago that espoused the ideal behaviour, attitudes, and characteristics a 'true' Elf should follow and possess at all times. Within its pages were chapter after chapter of rules and guidelines, from matters such as the proper conduct in battle to the appropriate table manners. That was not all, for with them were various philosophical and religious teachings created over the course of Elven history, each one dedicated to further emphasising the 'ideal Elven character.'

He had read the entirety of the book two years ago on the insistence of his parents, and while he found a good number of the ideas inside to be agreeable, parts of it were complete drivel or were too impractical to implement into his own life.

It had gained a remarkably bad reputation among non-Elf audiences, for one of the core ideas espoused within the book's pages was the concept of Elven supremacy over the 'lesser races.' The scholar's view of what 'lesser races' were included humans, faunus, and even the majority of other demi-human races. It was so unpopular, Faen's family took care to conceal the book when people came over, and never took it outside of the house. Not even Grey had been made privy to the knowledge of such a book being in their possession.

Yasmin's willingness to read this particular book in the open spoke either of her daring, arrogance, or stupidity. Considering what Faen currently knew of Yasmin, he was leaning towards arrogance.

All in all, it was not easy putting up with Yasmin, neither was keeping his teammates in the dark as to the exact reason why she had joined them. But Headmaster Ozpin made it clear that this arrangement, and the motives for why it had been made, would remain the way it was until he said so. And Faen was currently unwilling to gainsay the Headmaster.

Figuring that he should do something other than puzzle over all this, Faen turned to the books he had taken and opened the first of the three. Two were books concerning some species of Grimm he wanted to go over, particularly those that lived outside of Avalon, while the other was one that contained details on the Kingdoms. There was still a great deal he needed to learn about both, and now was a fair enough time to expand his knowledge on these subjects. It was not as though there were places or persons he had to be with as of right now.

Picking one of the books on the Grimm to be his first choice to read, Faen opened it up to the first page and began to read away in silence. This book was not a new one, its publication date listed it as nearly forty years ago, and the signs of that age could be seen in how the cover was slightly worn, and the pages within had turned yellow due to oxidisation. Along with the typical signs of age, it had been victim to vandalism, for, much to Faen's annoyance, some halfwit had used a black pen to draw a crude penis on the table of contents page. Specifically besides the heading of Chapter 69, which showed just how so _very_ mature the vandal was.

Such was the dangers of giving horny teenagers free access to materials like this.

Aside from being defaced by even more crude drawings done by the same ass who drew the phallus on the table of contents page, that and it being a pretty old book, it was actually fairly informative. If this book was a bit more up to date, and not defiled by dumb drawings of crows and sword-scythes, he would borrow the book and take it back to his team's dorm for further reading.

Time passed, with the rain outside steadily becoming even more relentless, Faen carried on reading through the books he had taken, all the while looking around to keep an eye on what was happening around him. Looking over to the entrances of the library, more students were coming into the library to stay out of the rain outside, increasing the background noise with their footsteps and voices. Most had the decency to speak in hushed whispers, but a few needed a remainder from the librarian and other students to pipe down. It was as he took up the second, far newer, and vandalism-free book on the Grimm, his silent reading was interrupted by Yasmin.

"Ghastly weather outside," Yasmin commented out of the blue. Looking up from the quite detailed pages on a disturbing, humanoid Grimm known as 'Wendigos', which were known to eat their victims and drive people into states of immense greed, Faen saw she she was watching the rain failing outside the nearby window. "Rain as bad as this at the beginning of Summer. Think it a sign of something?"

"If it is, you should be asking for whom." Faen responded in a low voice, biting back a want to make a sarcastic remark involving superstitions and fools. He did, however, rolls his eyes at Yasmin while she was looking away from him, before turning his gaze back to the pages he was on.

"Too true," the elf heard Yasmin reply back to him in a tone similar to what he had used

Silence came over the two once again. It seemed, and Faen did hope, this silence would last much longer than the initial quiet the two lost themselves in earlier. Before anything like that could happen, though, Yasmin spoke up once more.

"Tell me, Faen, from which of the Avaloni cities do you hail from?" Yasmin asked him all of a sudden, arousing both his caution and interest. She was so very, _very_ pushing the limits of his patients and ability to tolerate her. "Are you from Lossendol? Perhaps Caranenost, maybe? Could it be that you are from Caras Fuin? Surely not Celebithil, you do not appear... conceited enough to be from there."

Faen furrowed his brow at Yasmin's question. While he did let out a quick, amused snort at the jab Yasmin made at the Elves from Celebithil, he had no wish to reveal that particular bit of information.

Truth be told, Faen had never told anyone where he and his family had come from. Promises had been made when they left, and while the memories were hazy, his parents had drilled the wish to keep their original home a secret when they first moved to Selene. Even in the time he knew Grey, Faen had never felt a need or even a flicker of desire to reveal such information to her. Why they had to was... complicated.

The Elven Cities, even within the already isolated Enclaves, secluded themselves from all others. Functioning as independant, or semi-independant, city-states for the greater part of their existence. Even now, in this time of globalisation and change, the Elven Cities had chosen to maintain this status, and had probably grown even more restrictive of who entered them than ever before. While he had not been there in years, what Faen could remember of the four Elven cities of Avalon; Lossendol, Caranenost, Caras Fuin, and Celebithil, were that they were prime examples of those qualities.

Back on topic, if he was unwilling to tell his best friend, there was no way in hell Faen was going to tell a stranger.

"You must forgive me, for I do not feel inclined to divulge such personal information to you." He slowly answered back to Yamin, putting particular emphasis on that last 'you' he uttered. She was undeterred, however, and continued to speak.

"Come now, Faen. All I wish is to know where you came from. What harm could come it? Who knows, perhaps we might be from the same city." Yasmin said as she closed her book, placed it gently on the table, and leaned forward with a tender look mixed with her usual cool facial expression. If she was putting up this look to coerce him into opening up, it was not working, and Faen retained the cold demeanour he kept up whenever they interacted. Seeing what she was attempting had no affect on him, Yasmin dropped the tender facade and matched his facial expression with one of her own.

This was not the first time the Elf-Dracon had tried something like this on him, and, honestly, Faen had also attempted similar techniques to gleam more about Yasmin. Attempted and met with limited to no success. Even when not armed and armoured in a sparring arena, the pair of them were fighting one another in another form and way.

It was... a curious experience to Faen, and one he had mixed feelings on.

As those thoughts swarmed around in his mind, Yasmin leaned back in her seat, crossed her legs, and locked a deep, analysing stare on him. It seemed she was pretty persistent in learning as much as she could from him today, and was trying to think up of some other strategy to pry into his secrets. Well, given his luck so far, Faen allowed himself to feel confident in his ability to deflect whatever she came up with.

Interrupting this little stand-off, Faen's Scroll buzzed all of sudden. In all honesty, the elf was grateful for the distraction, as the stare Yasmin was sending his way was transfixing in a strange sort of way, and he quickly averted his eyes from her and towards his Scroll. Checking what it was, the Elf perked up an eyebrow when he saw it was from Grey. It was most likely an update on Jaune's 'special' situation, and, being extra sure that no one else but him could see his Scroll, Faen opened up the message to see what the Werewolf had to say.

 _"Jaune passed his test! Me and the others are gonna have a party, you wanna come over? There's cake."_ That was what Grey had texted him, going so far as to add a smiley face and cake emoji at the end of her message.

 _'Hmph. So, he passed. Good for him,'_ Faen thought to himself before stowing his Scroll away. Well, it seemed that Jaune was a worthy enough person to have in Beacon, somehow. He had no idea just how the Human could have possibly succeeded, even if he had received training from Pyrrha, and had half a mind to outright denounce the results as fraudulent as Jaune's original transcripts.

However, Faen pushed those desires down into the deepest recesses of his mind, and surrendered to the knowledge Jaune would most likely be remaining as a Beacon student for the next four years. There were worse things in life, Faen supposed. Who knows, maybe, with further training from the professors and Pyrrha, Jaune could become a great warrior and Huntsman someday. That is if he could survive that long.

Pausing to think of what to do next, Faen shook his head before picking up the three books he had taken out from the shelves, and proceeded to return them to where he had found them. He had learnt enough on the Grimm, and there were plenty of opportunities in the future to learn more about Dracons. Besides, the promise of cake being in this party his companions were having was irresistible to him, that is, if they would have him be a part of their celebration.

Yasmin took note of this and watched him closely. She did not ask what he was doing, nor why he was doing it, just silently watched the Elf pack his stuff away and make ready to leave. It seemed as though Yasmin would remained seated where she was, until she decided that she would not.

"Going somewhere?" The Elf-Dracon abruptly asked while also standing up from her chair, an inquisitive tone to her voice. With slow, cat-like grace, Yasmin walked around the table until she was stood at least two paces from him.

"Back to the dorms. I have business with my teammates that need attending to," Faen responded, taking care to not going into detail what was going on. Of course, because of the vagueness of his response, he suspected that she might become suspicious of him. He had an idea of how he could avert her interest, but there was only way to be sure. "It as to do with the Human comrades my team has taken a liking to."

The mention of 'Human comrades', Teams RWBY and JNPR, seemed to do the trick. No overly visible sign could be seen, but Faen saw Yasmin's right eye twitch for a moment, before she retreated back to her chair.

"If that is so, I will walk back to the dorms with you. However, you can amuse yourself with the Humans on your own, for I will not involve myself in that business of yours whatsoever."

 _'I would have it no other way,'_ Faen mentally smirked to himself as he watched his current companion pack her stuff away as well. This did sort of confirm his assumption of Yasmin being xenophobic, which was nothing to be glad about, but Faen had found a way to annoy the enigmatic Elf-Dracon. That too was probably not a good thing, and it probably said something about him if it was the first thing that came to mind, but Faen did not care enough to bother with such thoughts.

Looking out the nearby window, he saw it was still raining. Quite a bummer, but he was accustomed to moving around in the rain, though it did not mean he enjoyed it in any way. Steeling himself for his second shower today, Faen picked up his coat and made for the library's exists, Yasmin striding at arm's distance beside him.

Today was not bad, and he secretly hoped in his heart the coming days would not be as well.

* * *

Not far from Faen and Yasmin, though, far enough that it would be hard for the two to notice her, Professor Taupe watched the two interacting with each other. The two seemed well enough.

It was an incredible gamble Ozpin had taken, bringing Yasmin into the Academy. While the background check done on the night of her induction had proven insightful, as did Taupe's own investigation on Yasmin, her current motives were suspect. From Yasmin's student record, she left the Martial School with grades good enough to get herself into any of the Academies, but she efused to enter into further education, and had almost disappeared from the face of Remnant after leaving Sentry.

That night, Yasmin revealed she had gone to the north of Vale and did a brief stint as a vigilante of sorts before witnessing the events in Forever Fall. In her words, Yasmin had been 'hunting rats.' What she could possibly mean by that Taupe had no idea, but Ozpin seemed to know, or had an idea what she was talking about, and accepted Yasmin's words.

Ozpin's act of accepting what Yasmin had to say was equal parts confusing and absurd in Taupe's eyes. Yet, she had to agree with it, for he was his boss after all, and Taupe actually did like having this job.

Nonetheless, the gorgon could not help but suspect there was something going on between the Headmaster and the elf-dracon. What it could be, the professor had no idea, and she was unsure whether she wanted to know or not.

Putting those concerns aside, Yasmin, just like several of the current body of Beacon students, could become an exceptional fighter if trained properly. Taupe had watched the surveillance recording of Yasmin and Faen's duel, and the professor had to admit she was impressed with what she had seen from both duellists. No matter how impressive her combat prowess was, Yasmin's personality and views of others was what she needed to work on the most, however. If Ozpin wished for her to attend Beacon, that attitude needed to be fixed, or at least cooled down so to make it easier for people to work with her.

Fat chance of that happening, though, for Yasmin had Elf and Dracon blood flowing through her veins. A combination like that would no doubt give rise to some trouble in the future. Truth be told, after going through her records from Sentry, it had already caused its fair share of problems.

Well, Ozpin had made his decision, questionable as it was, and Taupe could do nothing but wait for the consequences of it. Whatever they may be.

Turning from the two as they stood up from their table and made to leave the library, Taupe walked up to a window and gazed at the heavy downpour outside. As the rain continued to fall hard outside, and water droplets began to trickle down the window before her, the professor gazed at the reflection looking back at her.

There was her iconic impassive mask, the multitude of snakes that stemmed from her head, and eyes with cyan irises peered from the mask's eyeholes back at her. Yet, the reflection's eyes were not as worn by time, and what little exposed skin around them was smoother and bore no wrinkles. Not for the first time, and definitely not the last, was Taupe looking at a younger image of herself.

She did not know or understand just why this sort of thing happened. It could just be a trick of the light and her imagination was just going wild, could be her age was very much starting to catch up to her, or maybe Taupe really needed to go see a doctor and have this checked out. Whatever the case, in times where the gorgon was under a great deal of stress, or became engrossed in sadness, her mind would drift from the present and go to that innocent and careless girl looking back her right now.

With her mind locked onto those younger days so long ago, Taupe allowed herself to wonder just how she would react if ever she got the chance to come face to face with her pre-Beacon self.

Would a younger Taupe look with pride at how far she had come, or become terrified by how much time had worn away at her? Could she, her present self, muster up the strength to even speak to her younger self?

If she could go into the past and tell her younger self one thing about her future as a Huntress, it would be the sheer number of burdens that she would be forced to carry.

First would be the burden of her team.

Second would be the burden of Themyscira's destruction by the Grimm.

Next, would be the burden of being viewed as some sort of heroine or saviour for saving less than half of the town of Baltia's population and buildings.

After that, Taupe would tell her of the burden of teaching the next generation to be the same as her.

Finally, after having all of that stacked onto her shoulders, the gorgon now carried the weighty truth of the world. The knowledge of the secret war that had been raging on right under everyone's noses. Of the true enemy that sought the destruction of all intelligent life on Remnant.

Blinking her eyes, Taupe saw that the reflection was no longer herself from those halcyon days. It was now, or perhaps had always been, the tired and worn-out woman Taupe had grown to be after so many years of fighting.

Sighing deeply to herself, the gorgon professor turned her mind away from her youth, and focused it on recalling what had taken place in the Headmaster's office three nights ago. For more had happened that night than just a new student being added to Beacon.

After Headmaster Ozpin had spoken to and dismissed Faen and Yasmin from Beacon Tower, he had asked Taupe to remain behind as he wished to discuss something important with her. Shortly after, the two were joined by Professor Goodwitch, and once she had arrived Ozpin got around to telling Taupe why he wanted her to be here. That night Ozpin, alongside Professor Goodwitch, spoke to her of many secrets they had taken steps to keep secret from her and the rest of Remnant. Each greater and more terrible than the last.

The knowledge revealed that night had shaken her, really, and the gorgon had gone through a terrible internal crisis after hearing what the Headmaster had to say on... well, everything about Remnant.

Two students passed behind Taupe, the both of them saying a quick greeting two her as they went by. Taupe only let out a half-hearted greeting of her own in return as she carried on ruminating on what happened three nights ago.

What Ozpin and Goodwitch disclosed to Taupe included just who they, and the headmasters of the other Academies, really were. They told her the full truth behind the creation of the Huntsman Academies. They told her the reason why the Grimm existed and how all life had come to be on Remnant in the first place. Then, probably the most shocking of all the secrets they told Taupe that night, were what they had to say on Demi-Humans.

All they had to say was already shocking enough on their own, but the secrets revealed to her about all Demi-Humans dwarfed almost everything else.

For one, the Order, as this secret faction Ozpin was running referred to themselves, had existed for centuries, and in that time they had been very well aware of the existence of the Demi-Human Enclaves around the world. What was more, they played an active part in maintaining the secrecy and isolation of the Enclaves. True the Demi-Humans themselves went to great lengths to preserve their secrecy; from making entire human settlements disappear to forcing any lost soul unfortunate enough to stumble upon them to stay in the Enclave till their dying days.

However, the idea that an organisation of outlanders going out of their way to do the same was alien and almost unfathomable to Taupe.

The reasons Ozpin gave for his predecessors' actions were, given how Faunus were treated and how Humans began to view Demi-Humans, to conceal their existence until the rest of Remnant was ready to accept and peacefully coexist with them. If that were the case, Fate had really gone and taken a fat shit the size of a six-storey house on that plan of theirs.

With the emergence of the Great War, and the rising threat of the Grimm that came with it, the Order had been forced to act and they proceeded with their plan ahead of schedule. As the war reached its climax, their agents made contact with the Faery King of Avalon and, after no small amount of convincing, persuaded him into helping fight in the war on the side of Vale and Vacuo. That, as well as aiding in locating and pressing the other Enclaves into emerging from their long isolation.

Then they spoke of how Demi-Humans came to be.

Like so many others, Taupe _had_ wished to know from where and why the myriad of Demi-Human races had been created. So many of them had traits that verged on the supernatural, or were outright impossible, the question continued to baffle Remnant's best minds. Recent sciences had done a fair job of trying to explain their origins, but most were speculation or completely unsatisfactory.

Now knowing the truth, the gorgon found whatever lie the Demi-Humans told themselves to be far more preferential. Only chaos would come about if the truth were revealed to the world.

The reason why Ozpin and Goodwitch had chosen to reveal all this to her was for one simple reason. They wanted her to be a part of the Order.

This 'Order' of theirs had existed for centuries, perhaps even millennia, and had served as the hidden guardians of Remnant from the equally secretive enemy that sought their destruction. Its members had consisted of a multitude of people over the course of its long history. To Taupe's great surprise, even that dusty old crow had been a member for almost as long as she had known him.

If the old crow came back to Beacon, they were going to have a long, _long_ conversation.

She had been listed as a potential inductee to the Order as far back as her student days in Beacon, and placed higher on that list due to her 'heroics' at Baltia twenty years ago. Why they wanted her to be a part of their group now was because of an upswing in activity from the Order's enemy, the most prominent and recent being the assassination of Faery King Oberon. The King of Avalon turning out to be in charge of all of the Order's activities in the Enclave he was the sovereign of.

Ozpin assumed the Enemy, those who wished to see Remnant burn, were planning something big, and the Order needed as many agents they could get to be ready for them.

He gave Taupe time to consider his offer, but what choice did the gorgon really have? Her entire worldview had been shaken to their very foundations, and she now aware of a grave threat that conspired against the people of Remnant. She had to accept the offer to join the Order, so to protect what she and innumerable others had sacrificed to achieve and protect. To guard the ignorant masses around her from a sinister threat they knew nothing of, and, for their sake, Taupe desperately hoped they would never know.

Looking down to the rough, scarred skin of her right hand's open palm, the gorgon found herself wishing to hate Ozpin for doing this to her. She wanted to defy him, and refuse his offer. To be angry at the Headmaster for forcing her into the position he had placed her in. Yet, despite what she wanted, Taupe found herself unable to go ahead with it.

More important matters occupied her mind, and while she was miffed at how Ozpin had kept her in the dark for all the years she worked for him, she could see why he had done all he did. Anger would be pointless, and trying to lash out at him would be childish, destructively so if what he said about the Order's enemy was true.

Looking up from her hand, Professor Taupe returned her gaze the window and what was happening outside it. As she looked on, she witnessed Faen and Yasmin pass her by along with the few other students who had decided to brave the heavy rain. Seeing as they had no umbrellas on their persons, the pair were holding their coats over their heads to shield themselves from the rain.

Knowing what she did now, the gorgon wondered how many of the students outside, and those in the library with her, were being watched and assessed by the Order. How many of them was the Order considering to be future members and agents? Only a few select individuals? Entire teams maybe?

One need only look to the first years to see how many potential candidates the Order could choose. From the heiress of Remnant's largest provider of Dust, to the 'invincible' warrior.

Taupe's eyes followed Faen and Yasmin as they hurried through the rain, which, much to everyone's visible relief, had begun to die down. Ever since the trip to Forever Fall Forest, the gorgon's interest in him, and by extension the other members of FFOG, had heightened. There was much promise in him, and if subject to a bit of refining and nudging in the right direction, Faen and the rest of FFOG could become great Huntsmen and Huntresses.

Sure Faen himself had his fair number of flaws. Among them his aloof character, and his lack of a certain level of charisma that would make him an exceptional leader of others. All those, accompanied by his lack of vision for what to do in the future, did not paint a pretty picture of his prospects later in life. In spite of all these worries, Taupe had decided to rate him among other first years who held great potential to be a future Huntsman in her eyes. Others greatly outshone him that was true, yet, Taupe felt a certain pull towards seeing him progress and grow into the Huntsman he could become.

While he might not become an inspirational figure, as plenty of Huntsmen did, there were other ways people in their occupation operated. Perhaps he could benefit from a more personal hand in his education.

Now, Academy professors were not meant to show favouritism of any kind towards their students, but that was hardly ever enforced. Heck, Ozpin himself appeared to be showing a bit too much leniency with Teams RWBY and JNPR's antics when compared to others, especially the former. What harm could come from her giving FFOG some leeway and advice?

Before the gorgon's thoughts could meander to some other topic, Taupe's Scroll noisily vibrated as she received a message from gods know who. Taking the electronic device out of the inside pocket of her Jacket, the gorgon checked what the contents of the message was. Immediately upon seeing it, the professor pinched the bridge of her mask's nose, for the message was a notification for her of a violent altercation between a Yeti, Faunus, and two Human students. It had apparently gotten pretty damn messy, and her personal intervention was needed to help sort it all out.

"Duty calls, I guess," Taupe sighed to herself. The transfer students from the other Academies would be arriving tomorrow, so it was best if she took care of this today. Goodness knows how much trouble the transfer students would bring with them.

Looking outside the window one last time as she stuffed her Scroll back in her pocket, Taupe saw that the clouds had begun to disperse and sunlight streamed down through the growing cracks. At least the weather was getting better; hopefully it was a good omen of things to come.

Hopefully.

* * *

 **That is done. Again, this is pretty much a set up chapter, so nothing _too_ big about it apart from a certain few points.**

 **Next chapter will take place at the start of Volume 2, although, remember that this is FFOG's story, so I will leave out the parts where RWBY takes centre stage. What you can expect from next chapter is Friesian dragging his friends, that includes members of RWBY and JNPR, into my knock-off of Dungeons and Dragons. I swear I'll make it funnier, deeper, and more meaningful, than it sounds. Besides, that will not be the only thing happening next chapter.**

 **I will see you all when I next see you.**


	16. Heated Meetings and Dark Paths

**Author's Note:**

 **Well, RWBY Volume 7 is now over and done with. I will admit I've had mixed feelings about the entire Volume, the last Chapter especially, but that does not matter.**

 **Before this chapter begins let me mske something clear, I have never played a D &D-like game before, and have no complete understanding of how it and similar such games work. I've been binge watching Critical Role, which sort of motivated me to do this chapter, and tried to read up on stuff on the game itself. It was overwhelming, so I made up a lot of stuff while loosely basing it on D&D mechanics and some other RPG stuff.**

 **We will just have to see how it goes.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Heated Meetings and Dark Paths**

The two week long Semester break Faen and his fellow students had enjoyed came to an end sooner after Jaune's ordeal was put to rest, for the time being anyway. Many first-years greeted the new semester with groans and some complaining, for it meant going back to nearly endless hours of lectures and gruelling training. Their upperclassmen peers took it better, and some had to smack a little sense into the first-year students, both figuratively and literally.

Before the second semester started, however, many Beacon students from all year groups had made sure to enjoy themselves on their last day of freedom before classes resumed once more. Some had gone so far as to have parties late into the night. Faen knew this because, despite his best efforts to fall asleep, the partiers in FFOG's dorm block were loud enough to keep him awake until freaking midnight. They were still going on by the time the Elf was finally able to succumb to the bliss of sleep, and he hoped they received a month of misfortune for their annoying behaviour.

Rather much to wish for, but if anyone dared to disturb his sleep in such a thoughtless way, they will suffer.

Aside from the maddening party stuff that happened at night, the day before had been fairly exciting for FFOG and their companions. Not every one of the things that happened was exciting in a good way, though.

For one, Grey transformed into the Wolf shortly after the team woke up, but she was safely locked inside their dorm's bathroom until she changed back an hour later. A couple hours before midday, a fire was almost started in the dorm block for the fifteenth time since the school year began, which was really starting to get old now. Later on that day, Team CRDL finally came back to Beacon from their temporary suspension, and they actually seemed to have learnt something from their time away from the Academy.

Sure they were still asses, as they still gave people a hard-time, but CRDL was far more subdued when compared to how they were before their suspension. They also appeared to avoid giving Teams JNPR, FFOG, and RWBY less of a hard-time, or at least tried to anyway.

He was curious just what had happened during CRDL's period of suspension, and how they had been 'disciplined,' but that did not really matter to Faen. The Humans had been chastised for their bullying, that was what mattered.

Other stuff happened as well, but the most memorable thing happened at lunchtime, where both Teams RWBY and JNPR had gotten into the absolute mother of all foodfights. Faen had never seen anything like it, and he found himself repeatedly replaying particular moments of it in his mind, for in the strangest of ways it had been a fascinating, awesome, and completely bizarre spectacle to watch. Faen and the others were not sure they would ever see something like it ever again, and wondered what would have happened if they got into the foodfight as well.

FFOG did not get involved, because both Faen and Odori held onto Grey and Friesian to prevent the pair from joining in on the 'fun.' Faen's reasons were that he did not want his team to get into trouble for this, for the food fight between RWBY and JNPR turned the entire cafeteria interior into a chaotic warzone from the Great War. That and it would be an absolute bitch to clean the food stains from their clothes if they did join in.

He and FFOG probably should have put a halt to the entire thing, but it was just so fascinating, that, after having successfully restrained Grey and Friesian, Faen stood back and watched the whole thing from the entrance. There were a few near misses, such as how a swordfish of all things nearly impaled him in the chest, yet it was amusing enough to warrant the risk.

In the end, Professor Goodwitch came storming in after the food fight had just ended, and restored the place back to its normal state. Although, the food stains splattered all over the back wall would be a nightmare for the janitorial crews to clean. She looked about ready to give RWBY and JNPR detention for the rest of the school year, if Headmaster Ozpin had not come in an intervened.

While the Humans, and one Faunus, had nearly demolished the cafeteria, Faen was surprised to see the Headmaster was more amused by it all than anything else. What surprised him and the other onlookers more, which were FFOG and two exchange students, was how Ozpin convinced the Professor to let the two teams be before leaving. Now, Faen had to admit that was _very_ lenient of the Headmaster, and he secretly questioned why RWBY and JNPR had been excused from being punished for renacting the Battle of Ceniza Bay in the Academy's cafeteria. Faen was not complaining, not at all, he was just perplexed by the decision.

That had all happened yestreday, and something other than the start of classes was happening now.

Standing together by the statue erected at the centre of Beacon's great courtyard, Team FFOG looked on as more newly arrived exchange students in grey-and-white uniforms manoeuvred into the courtyard from the long avenue from Beacon's docks. All these students were from Atlas, Remnant's northern most Kingdom, and were as much soaking in Vale's comparatively warmer climate as they were admiring Beacon. It was overcast today, but Vale must surely be warmer than Atlas any day of the year.

A majority of the new arrivals were Humans, but there were also Faunus and Demi-Humans among the exchange students. Faen's eyes tracked the few Demi-Humans more than he did the others, and what he saw included a Jotunn, three Valkyries, a pair of Orcs, a possible Were-Beast, and even a Halfling of all creatures. Not many of these students really stood out to Faen, and he wondered how many of them would be an actual challenge for him to fight. Only time would answer that question.

The coming weeks would provide ample opportunities for him to see, for, considering these exchange students would be in the same classes as him and the others, Faen was sure he would face a few of them in a sparring match. Honestly, it was the only thing Faen found to be worth looking forward to with these new people.

Looking around, FFOG were not the only ones checking out the exchange students from Atlas, as a fair number of other teams and individual students were present as well. Some were doing the same as FFOG, and carefully watched the Atlas students walk past them without uttering a word to them. A few actually approached the new arrivals and welcomed them to Beacon, while an even smaller number greeted old friends from before attending an Academy. FFOG were a part of the first category, as were Team AMRT, who were stood not too far from Faen and his team.

Amarantha, AMRT's team leader, silently watched the Atlas students with her usual stony face, even when a possibly ophidiophobic student almost collapsed out of fright when they laid eyes on the snake half of the Naga's body. Monica stood beside her team leader, looking far better in this weather when compared to the feverish state she was in yesterday due to all the sunlight Beacon had been getting these past few days. Reuel was doing as fine as ever, and kindly greeted the Atlesians with a wave and pearly white smile, which might have earned him a fair few admirers if Faen was right about how some Atlesians responded. Tora, on the other hand, was doing his absolute best to intimidate the new arrivals by showing off his powerful physique.

RWBY and JNPR could not be with them, however, for they had gone off to the library to study after their last class with them ended, or so they said anyway.

Faen had spied what looked to be the box of a board game in Ruby's backpack, and one does not just carry such a thing around for shits and giggles. Oh well, it was not his business anyway. So long as it did not negatively affect him or those others around him, the Elf was cool with whatever Ruby and the others got up to.

Of FFOG's latest addition, she was not on Beacon grounds, for Yasmin had apparently been sent off to perform an errand of some importance. What she was up to Faen had no clue, as the Elf-Dracon kept the details of this 'errand' close to her chest. If Faen had to be honest with himself, he both wanted to know and not know what Yasmin was doing right now.

There was still so much he did not know of Yasmin, the Elf could not help but feel cautious about anything she did.

"So, that's our competition from Atlas? Huh, they don't look so tough," Faen heard Grey remark as she watched more Atlesian students disembark from their Airship in the distance. She had boldly spoken loud enough for a few Atlas students to hear her, resulting in some sending her dirty looks, but they all refrained from doing anything else when the Werewolf showed off her teeth and the sharp claw-like nails to them.

"I hope they are at least somewhat challenging to face. It can get boring facing off against the same people over and over again," Odori commented with a wide yawn.

"Y'know, it is super weird that the Atlesian Military came along. Nothing like this has happened since, well, since ever." Friesian added to what the two had to say about the Atlesians' arrival, his head eyeing the Atlesian Airships that were now occupying the airspace above Beacon. The Elf took a second to glance up from the passing students from Remnant's northern most Kingdom as well, and look to the three armed vessels that had apparently escorted them all the way here.

It had been a wholey unexpected sight to see when they left their last class of the day, and many people were making a big deal about the presence of these warships in Vale airspace. What was an even bigger deal was the rumoured presence of General Ironwood, the Headmaster of Atlas Academy and leader of all that Kingdom's military forces. Now, what business the General had in Beacon, Faen and the other students could only speculate, but it could not be good if he and what looked to be half a squadron of airships had come all the way down to Beacon. Faen heard things were getting crazy as of late, but he never guessed it was crazy enough to warrant something like this.

Not only that, but, according to even more rumours, the Altesians were planning to unveil some androids down at Vale. Apparently these new android soldiers, Atlesian Knights as they liked to call them, were a redesign of Atlas' last models; made to be faster, stronger, and overall better than any of their predecessors. Faen had only ever seen the last models, the AK-130s, in pictures and videos, and could confidently say a redesign was something those mechanical soldiers needed.

These new androids were supposed to be officially revealed to the general public of Vale, and Remnant if one considered the news coverage that would be present at the event, in the coming weeks or so. Interesting as it would be, Faen had no wish to personally go and see the reveal, as he would likely have more important things to do. Such as doing his homework and training, this was a Huntsman Academy after all.

But, there was something that bugged him about the impending reveal of these new robot soldiers from Atlas. Why were they being shown off here and now?

There was something going on here, he just lacked the adequate pieces to see the bigger picture.

Looking away from the Atlesian airships above him, Faen turned his attention back to the Atlas students before him. A minute passed as he and the rest of FFOG continued to watch the Atlesians, with so very few of them truly sticking out to him in any meaningful way, just like those that had come before them. It was when Faen had finally given up in trying to find a person worthy of his attention among the new arrivals that something finally did, and he was not pleased at all by what he saw.

A figure barely over half Faen's own height came stomping down the paved avenue, a trio of other Atlesian students following behind him. The figure wore the white-and-grey uniform of Atlas Academy, which had been adjusted to accommodate his shorter yet stockier form. On their face was meticulously well-groomed orange facial hair that would no doubt form a full beard later in his life, with the rest of the hair on his head done into a short braid that fell down to his back. Tattooed over his left in black ink was a rune that Faen knew stood for the letter 'H'.

Faen knew full well who this person was, and knowing they were here left a supremely bitter taste in his mouth.

It was a Dwarf. _The_ Dwarf, in fact, the very same one he had to put up with back in Vigil Martial School.

Halvard Bergson of Clan Sternsteel.

Fate, in all its capriciousness, had decided to drop twelve metric tonnes of crap on him by bringing the Dwarf to Beacon. Not for the first time, nor would it be the last, did Faen wish to give wring Fate's neck and give it the greatest backhand that the universe had ever seen for doing this to him.

Not a moment after Faen had caught sight of him; the Dwarf took note of Faen and his two teammates, and, after saying a quick word to his companions, started to walk over to where Faen and his teammates stood. Seeing no way of wriggling out of this, not that he would have tried to, Faen stood as tall as he could and fixed the coldest glare he could muster onto the Dwarf. His white eyes locking with the Dwarf's eyes, which were as dark as coal.

"Hey Faen, what's up?" Grey asked him as soon as she noticed he had focused eyes on something. He did not need to answer her, for the Werewolf understood what was going on soon enough, and was quick to express it. "Uh oh."

"'Uh oh'? What's going on?" The Elf heard Friesian question the two. He and Odori were undoubtedly confused by the sudden change in the atmosphere and the pair's behaviour. If Faen had known the Dwarf was going to be here today, he would have given his teammate a heads-up on what would happen, and a warning to stay out of it.

He did not, though, and Faen would have to trust his two other teammates to understand when they saw something best left alone.

"So you attend Beacon now, Elfling? I honestly didn't think you'd make it into an Academy, but I guess anything's possible these days," the Dwarf loudly called out to Faen as soon as he was twelve paces away from him. His voice was the same as it had been the day they last spoke to one another; loud and possessing a distinct accent Faen could recognise anywhere.

"Halvard, this is quite the surprise. Are you lost? This is an Academy for Huntsman-in-Training, and you are nowhere near worthy of being among us, let alone becoming a Huntsman." Faen replied to Halvard's words with a snide remark of his, pouring as much bitterness and resentment into it as he could muster. This was nothing new for the Elf and Dwarf, and was more or less how the two always greeted each other back in Vigil.

"Oh, I am worthy of becoming a Huntsman, you soft-skinned pansy, the scars on my body are proof of that. I'm guessing this here is your team," Halvard spoke as he eyed the three other members of FFOG who were stood with Faen. A glint of recognition flashed across Halvard's face as he laid eyes on Grey, and sent a terse nod her way. He furrowed his brow when he saw Friesian, yet he was not as visibly disturbed by the fact the Dullahan's head hanged on a belt as most others did. The Dwarf paused when he noticed Odori's five fox-tails, and looked as though he may have something to say, but shook his head slightly and faced Faen once again.

His teammates said nothing to the Dwarf, which was a good thing as far as Faen was concerned. So long as they were quiet, the chances of Halvard finding something to use against him would be low to absolute zero.

"How have the days been treating you, Elf? You haven't been shagging any tree or actually gotten stuck in walls as of late, have you?" Halvard said with a sly sneer across his face. Faen felt a vein in his temple almost burst at that last sentence.

He hated with a passion that his people were somehow seen as tree-hugging savages or prancing hippies by some people in Remnant. Sure he had some respect for nature, but he was in no way at all obssessed with it in the way some people thoughtlessly believed his people were. Also, that mention of getting 'stuck in walls' was Halvard reminding him of how one of their earliest spars had almost ended. A grievance Faen had yet to fully repay the Dwarf for.

The Dwarf knew these were easy buttons to press, especially the latter, and often gloated right in Faen's face about them. Still, there were ways Faen could get back at him for those insults.

"Huh, I would ask the same of you, Dwarf. That... hahah, 'beard' of yours, I see it has not fully grown yet. Should your kind not have one by now, or is it you are no true Dwarf as you so often claim to be." Faen was really stepping on Halvard's toes here, for while he may have sounded petty, Dwarf men absolutely loved their facial hair, and insulting theirs earned most people a black-eye _if_ the indignant Dwarf was feeling generous. They took their facial hair so seriously, there was even a saying that Dwarves would go to war over someone forcibly shaving the beards of even one of their kind.

Halvard remained stoic, and appeared unaffected by Faen's attempt to goad him a reaction out of him, but the Elf knew Halvard was fuming on the inside. Normally the Dwarf would have made an attempt to strike Faen, as he had the many times they had an exchange similar to this, however, he maintained a calm exterior. There was no doubt in Faen's mind that Halvard was planning to punish him for that insult, and the Dwarf could plan away for all he cared. Faen would best whatever attempt his nemesis made, and one-up him soon after.

"I hear there's been a bit of a rise in crime spree Vale as of late. Dust shop robberies, and some sort of Dust heist down in Vale's docks." The Dwarf said as he crossed his arms and then locked a deathly glare on Faen. Just where was he going with this? "There haven't been any... kidnappings or disappearances, too, have there? It'd be most unfortunate if such a thing rose in a city as nice as Vale. I'd hate to learn you or any others of your kind might be behind any, _if_ there have been any."

Of course Halvard would go there. What a surprise.

Faen formed a counter remark, one that would imply his kind to be behind the Dust robberies because of their excessive greed, followed by a stabbing comparison between Dwarves and Goblins. Halvard would truly hate that, and might just be enough to provoke him into a fight, a possibility Faen wholeheartedly welcomed. Before he could even open his mouth to say it, however, someone else stepped in and spoke up first.

"Faen would never do such a thing!" Odori unexpectedly hissed at Halvard, taking a threatening step towards him as she spoke in Faen's defence. While he very much felt grateful for his teammate speaking up for him, Faen did not want her to.

"You got spirit there, lass, a lot more than the knife-ears over here anyway." Halvard responded to Odori, turning his head to face her as he planted both his hands on his hips. Meanwhile, Faen glared daggers at the Dwarf for that 'knife-ears' remark he had just made. "Are you the team leader? It must be a pain to deal with _him_ 24/7."

"I am not, we are Team FFOG, and Faen is the one who leads us. He may not be perfect, but I would have no finer warrior or friend than Faen be at the helm of anything we do. Even if we had to go into the darkest nest of Grimm I would follow him without a second thought. Can you say the same for yourself?" Odori replied to Halvard's comment, causing the Dwarf's eyes to widen and his brow to furrow at the revelation that Faen was a team leader, which the Elf had to admit, was amusing to watch.

Still, while the Kitsune had not said too much, the passion with which Odori spoke in his defence was... strange to Faen, almost off-putting in fact. While he had spent months here in Beacon getting used to working with strangers more and more, it was still odd to Faen how people who had not known him long were willing to speak up for him. He, if he had to be completely honest with himself, doubted if he would do such a thing if he were in their shoes.

Maybe he should change that thought process, and reconsider how he acted towards those who did treat him that way. He would just have to see.

Refocusing his mind on the 'conversation' with Halvard, Faen tried to gauge the Dwarf's reaction to learning of his team leader status. What he saw was Halvard scrunching up his brow, and turning his gaze between Faen, Odori, and the other members of FFOG, as though he were trying to discern the truth of what Odori had said by sight alone. The thing Halvard did next was something Faen had come to expect of him, he laughed.

"Hahahah, you're a team leader now, eh? That's funny; _I'm_ a team leader as well!" Halvard continued to laugh for a few more seconds before he finally ceased. The Dwarf waved a hand towards the members of his team, who were stood a short ways away and speaking with a team of Beacon students Faen had never bothered to learn the names of. "See over there? That there is my team. Team HONE _(Honey)_ , as sturdy as stone, and more reliable than steel."

It was now Faen's turn to frown at the information relayed to him, as he had hoped the Dwarf would be stuck with simply being a team member, and not the one to lead a team of Huntsmen-in-Training. Nothing but the wish to simply outrank the Dwarf and have something to gloat over him had motivated that desire.

Taking a more careful look at the rest of Halvard's team, Faen could see they consisted of two Humans and one Bear Faunus. They, like most others who attend the Huntsmen Academies, seemed to look both unique and crazy in their own ways, but they appeared pretty ordinary as of right now.

"My, my, the Atlesians must be desperate if they're willing to make someone of your... stature a team leader." Faen jibed at Halvard, mocking his shortness for the two-hundredth time since they had met each other. He was aware this would not affect him as strongly as the beard comment, but anything that might grind at the Dwarf's gears was good enough for Faen.

"Tch, insulting my height again, you twiggy freak? Your bark is getting as terrible as your bite," Halvard said whilst rolling his eyes at Faen. "The General's got a good eye for talent, Elf, but I'm thinking Ozpin is getting a bit senile if he let you be a student here."

"As expected, your time spent face first in your own shit with your cannon shoved up your ass has muddled your mind. Ozpin is wise and knowledgeable because of his age, Dwarf. He can sense great potential in people just by taking a single glance at someone," Faen shot back at Halvard. While he could not say he fully believed in what he meant, Ozpin was the Headmaster of Beacon, so, by defending Ozpin's honour he was defending his own as well. "Your General is not only desperate for warriors; he is also delusional if he truly believes _you_ will make a great warrior, or even a team leader for that matter."

After having said that, the two Demi-Humans proceeded to wordlessly glare at each other, Faen's eyes filling with a cold light while Halvard's burned hot with the heat of a furnace. He was barely aware of his three teammates, who were stood awkwardly to the side, while several onlookers had taken note of their tense exchange and watched from a distance. What mattered most to him right now was to beat Halvard in this little 'staring competition' of theirs.

They stayed this way for what felt like several minutes, though it most surely have been mere seconds, before the two abruptly broke off from each other. Faen was tired of dealing with him anyway, and their encounter had pretty much soured his entire day.

"I'll be seeing you later, Elfling," Halvard grunted. He followed this up by making an offensive hand gesture at Faen as the Dwarf turned his back on him, and started to walk off to join the rest of his team.

"It will be in a sparring ring! That you can bet on," Faen called out as the Dwarf retreated from him. The Dwarf gave him one last dirty look from over his shoulder before rejoining he finally rejoined his team, and continued making his way to Beacon's main building with them. As they strolled further down the courtyard, Faen watched the Dwarf, boundless spite overwriting any other emotion that could be present in his eyes.

Only once Halvard and his team had disappeared through the doorway to Beacon's main hall and amphitheatre did Faen finally stop trying to murder the Dwarf with his unrelenting glare. Facing away from where Halvard had gone, and back to his team, he saw they had been joined by Team AMRT and all had worried looks on their faces. Their exchange had appeared that serious another team had felt the need to come over, and most likely ask if he were alright?

Well, considering he was deliberately trying to goad the short Demi-Human into a confrontation, Faen guessed they had a good enough reason to do just that. But the matter with the Dwarf was his to deal with, and Faen would very much prefer his companions let him do so.

"Faen, are you alright?" Amarantha asked him, a brow raised in both concern and intrigue. No doubt she, and everyone else except Grey, was wondering what the full story between him and the Dwarf was.

Noticing a fairly sharp pain coming from his right palm for the first time, Faen looked down and saw he had unconsciously balled his right hand into a tight first for goodness knows how long. Raising the hand as he unclenched it, Faen saw he had kept it that way for so long his nails left deep marks on his palm, and he might had broken through the skin if they stayed that way for just a while longer. It was also then that the Elf realised there was a terrible pounding sensation in his head, which felt as though an Ogre was taking a morning stroll inside his skull.

Yeah, meeting Halvard again had really messed him up inside, and he needed to rest or find some sort of distraction that would take the whole thing out of his mind for the time being. Getting away from all these people might be want he needed.

A part of him, one that had been growing in the back of his mind as of late, demanded he speak to the fellow Demi-Humans who were stood with him instead. Perhaps he should, other people seemed to do that when they had problems like this, but the other part of him, the one that insisted he deal with this privately, overrode it and Faen followed it. He was, after all, not 'other people'.

Some other time, maybe, now was no it though.

"I'm fine," Faen lied to Amarantha and the others as he shoved both hands into his trouser pockets, "there's something I need to do in our dorm. Excuse me."

With that Faen turned on his heel and started to quickly walk away from his team and AMRT, knocking past anyone who got in his way to the dorm blocks.

It was a silent, uneventful trip back to the dorms, or so Faen thought as it seemed to pass like an incoherent blur, and he found himself at the door to his team's dorm room in what felt like no time at all. Having reached and actually opened the door, the Elf saw his team had followed him back to their shared dorm. They were silent, whether his teammates had tried to say something to him on their way here the elf had no clue, for he had tuned out everything except the harsh pounding inside his head.

Still saying nothing, the Elf walked through the doorway, collapsed onto his bed and shut his eyes. The pounding in his head had gotten far worse than when he was outside, so maybe a brief rest here would remedy it. He was sure it was nothing serious, and there was no need for him to go to Beacon's infirmary, Faen just needed to rest.

Hopefully, his team would understand that, and let him relax for a while. Maybe even allow him to have a short nap. That would be nice, actually.

"So, uh, that was a thing. Might if we have a little chat about it? Like what's the history behind this beef you and that Dwarf have with each other, boss? Because I'd really like to know what I just saw happen back there," Friesian could be heard asking him, clearly still confused by what he had just seen. Not feeling in a mood to answer any such question, and rather peeved by the Dullahan interrupting his rest, Faen waved a hand towards Grey, wordlessly telling her to explain for him.

She got the message, for a second later, his Werewolf friend began to speak.

"Faen and Halvard have a bit of a... They've been like this since they first met back in Vigil," Grey began answer Friesian's question for him, "and lemme tell you, it's an ugly affair that's not worth getting involved with."

"How ugly are we talking?" Odori voice inquired as he felt a weight gently fall on the bed close to his right leg, what he thought to be fingers playing with a lock of his white hair. Taking a guess, Faen believed Odori had taken a seat on the bed, and started to play with a lock of his hair, which Faen permitted for it was an unexpectedly pleasant sensation. The only other person who had done this before, was also in the room and their name rhymed with the word 'fray.'

"It is ugly enough that they tried killing each other in their last 'duel of honour.'" The Werewolf continued, letting out an audible sigh as soon as she had finished her sentence.

"You're joking?" The Dullahan loudly exclaimed, and his head was probably looking towards him with a flabbergasted expression on it. That or he was completely bamboozled; a bit of variety could not hurt.

"No I'm not. The two of them would have gone ahead with it if our Mentor had not intervened," Grey instantly continued speaking as soon as Friesian was done. She was most likely shaking her head in exasperation right about now. "Boy, they were super pissed."

Oh yes, that had been one hell of a Wednesday, no doubt about that.

Now, if they could just leave the matter be, and let him relax for maybe ten to twenty minutes. The pounding in his head was starting to die down, and Faen wanted this damn feeling gone before they headed off to grab some dinner.

"Wait a second... Is that the Dwarf who shot you in the face and almost stuck you into a wall?" At the mention of that incident, Faen scrunched his face up into an ugly frown, and if he had wished to, would have given Friesian the worst stink-eye he could summon. "I'll take that as a yes. Also, what did was he trying to imply with all that talk of you being behind disappearances in Vale? He made it sound as though you were a kidnapper of sorts."

There was another long pause, one that no one seemed capable or willing to end. Faen could imagine Grey was casting him an awkward look from wherever she was stood or sat, while Friesian and Odori were sending questioning glances to the both of them.

It was a touchy subject what Friesian had asked, and if Faen had his way, one that would never be brought up around him ever again. Not out of shame, no, but purely because he was tired of people thinking they could use it as a weapon against him or that it was something that he was trying to correct somehow. Really, out of the two, Faen was not sure which was the more annoying to put up with at times.

"Friesian, you're toeing hot water right now. Stop before you get scalded," Grey warned the Dullahan. Knowing full well what it was Halvard had been implying back at the courtyard.

"Oh, uh... sorry if I'm being nosy, boss. I just want to understand what the heck is going on between you and that Dwarf is all," Friesian awkwardly apologised to him.

Faen was glad for what Grey had done for him, and he might have just let the whole conversation end right then and there. As much as he may wish for it to be that way, however, upon a quick reflection on such a course of action, it would be detrimental to his team in the long-run. They would want to know what Halvard had been talking about, and his refusal to tell might make them suspect he had some pretty messed up secrets that he was refusing to tell them. Maybe he was just overreacting, but such a possibility was not one Faen was ready to stomach.

Yes the Elf was witholding some stuff, nothing like being a murderer or anything, but things he would much rather keep to himself. He could tell Odori and Friesian about it, for he had already told Grey, and it was not as though the information was world-shatttering or anything of the like. Or at least, that was as far as Faen was concerned, anyway.

So with great reluctance, Faen opened his eyes and made to join the conversation. Instead, once Faen had gotten up from the bed, the only noise that left his opened mouth was a low exhale of air as his mind tripped on doubt.

He was sure his teammates would want to know what Halvard had been talking about, but how they would take it abruptly cast doubt in the Elf's mind. As mentioned before, what he was planning to tell them was nothing capable of changing their worldview, and Faen had made peace with the knowledge he would divulge, but would his two teammates be able to? People had cut ties and kept long-lasting grudges over less, and while it had happened long, _long_ ago, there was no knowing how his teammates would react to it. They had proven trustworthy thus far, though, and revealing it would be an adequate enough test of that belief.

Noticing his teammates were looking at him, Faen understood that he needed to make a decision now.

"It's... fine, Friesian. I suppose I could tell both you and Odori," he said whilst putting himself into a more comfortable sitting position. The pounding in his head was back with a vengence, but at least it was not as terrible when compared to when he started to feel it.

"Are you sure Faen? What you're planning to tell them is... it's gonna be some real heavy stuff," Grey asked, her arms crossed and with a brow raised as though questioning the wisdom of such an action.

"My mind is made up," Faen declared with a heavy sigh. Grey was still sceptical, her face said it all, but his mind was set and his teammates were now expecting some sort of answer from him. She said nothing, though, and stood by the door with her wolf-ears trying to pick up whether or not someone was outside their dorm. After waiting for a few seconds, Grey turned back to the rest of FFOG and spoke once more. "You can go on."

It was now or never. Actually, there was one last thing he needed Friesian and Odori to do before he went ahead with his plan.

"Before I tell you anything, I need the both of you to swear that what you hear in this room stays between the team until _I_ say so." Faen demanded of them, giving both of his teammates such an intense glare that there was no mistaking the seriousness of their conversation, nor of the oath he wished for them to take. They got the message, and were quick to accept his condition.

"Sure thing boss," Friesian stated whilst his body made an 'X' over his heart with a finger, and rose his other hand as one would normally expect. It was odd to Faen, and he suspected it to be some kind of Kingdomer mannerism the Dullahan had picked up, but it would do for now.

"If it is that important to you, Faen, I'll do whatever you ask." Was Odori's response to his demand, doing no special gesture or sign to mark the sincerity of her words. Faen would much rather she actually do one, and gave the Kitsune a meaningful look upon seeing she had no intention of doing anything of the like, yet Faen guessed that it did not matter really. It was just him being a little... nitpicky, or so he surmised.

Well, with that out of the way, here goes nothing.

"Back in Vigil, Halvard was my nemesis, and I his. It sort of just... clicked the moment we entered the same room, but we found reasons to dislike each other soon enough. One reason was probably our contrasting personalities, I guess," Faen began to explain to Friesian and Odori, fighting against the incessant pounding that racked the Elf's head as he did. "For Halvard, one of the main reasons why he hates me is because, centuries before we Demi-Humans remerged into the world of Remnant, my ancestors were... slavers."

"What?!" Both Friesian and Odori almost yelled loudly, making Faen shut his eyes for a moment and clench his teeth. He was in the deep-end now; the only thing he could do next was to wade into it further.

Looking over to Grey, the Werewolf shook her head as soon as their eyes met, answering the unspoken question that had yet to escape his lips. Good, there was still no one in the corridor outside that could overhear them, or at least no one Grey could detect anyway. Trusting in his best friend's superior senses, Faen returned his gaze to Odori and Friesian, and carried on with his explanation.

"Do you know of the Elven Raids? The time when Elf Reavers plundered the coasts?" Faen now asked, eliciting an interested look from Odori, while one of uncertainty came over Friesian.

"No," Friesian immediately responded, eliciting groans of annoyance from Grey and Odori. The Dullahan's head just rolled his eyes at their reactions, and was quick to defend himself. "Uh, I'm bad at history guys; you should all know that by now."

Yes, yes he most certainly was. Friesian was good in most other subjects, especially those that needed a more practical touch, such as Weapon Crafting and Upkeep, but History almost completely flew right over his head. Regardless, a quick history lesson was what was needed for his two teammates to appropriately comprehend what he had to tell them.

"As I was saying, my family is descended from slavers. Back when the Enclaves were in hiding slavery or 'indentured servitude' was commonplace, but my people, the Elves, took it further and we raided anyone and everyone in search of slaves and plunder. We would even go so far as to break the Edicts of Isolation, and raided Human and Faunus realms on rare occasions," Faen continued on, keeping a close eye on Odori and Friesian's faces and body language as he spoke. "We Tatharions made a name for ourselves as seaborne raiders of _all_ coastlines, and our hauls made us so rich we could have been millionaires if we had that money today."

This was obviously all new to Friesian, but Odori seemed to have some understanding of the events he was talking about, however. The Elven Raids were a black-eye in the history of his people, and were not something one made conversation of at the dinner table, nor a topic one speaks to their friends about. Hells, what history books there were about the Elves tended to skim over it and speak of the 'Enlightenment', where the Elves and Demi-Humans in general experienced progressive changes in regards to their culture and societal practises.

Again, Faen had made peace with the knowledge of his family's involvement in it, and oh how involved they were, but some did not get the message. Some clung far too tightly to the past than what should sensible, and resented him for things that happened entire generations ago.

A certain Dwarf being among those nuisances.

"The Elven Raids. How involved were your family in them?" Odori asked in a soft voice that betrayed no emotion, and her crimson coloured eyes were looking at him with absolutely undivided attention. It was almost disconcerting how intensely Odori was looking at him.

"One of my ancestors was a raid leader for twenty-six years. That was how involved in the Raids my family were," Faen confessed to his teammates, startling the two even further. That ancestor, Helegnir Tatharion, was probably the closest his family had come to fame, but he was definitely nothing something Faen should really brag about in public.

As much as the memory of Helegnir was a black mark on his family's history, there was a part of Faen that felt compelled to respect and honour him to a degree. Aside from being a vicious Reaver, he was a great warrior who fought beside his fellow Reavers when most raid leaders did not, and was a decent guy by the standards of Elves at the time.

Also, probably the biggest reason Faen had to honour his ancestor, was the fact that he based Gwaedh's design on the ancestral blade Helegnir wielded during his time as a raid leader. What depictions of his ancestor existed had him wield a slender, single-edged sword, which Faen guessed had left an impression on him after seeing it the first six times. He had not tried to make his dao an exact replica, for Helegnir's weapon had a straight blade as opposed to the moderately curved one Gwaedh had, and the silvered coating on Gwaedh's blade was just something Faen really wanted for his weapon to satisfy his aesthetic tastes.

"What does this have to do with that Dwarf?" Friesian now pressed Faen, getting to the meat of their conversation.

"One of my ancestor's raids lead them to a coastal port on Avalon, and when they found it, my ancestors did what they had done for years. They attacked the settlement and captured half of the town's populace for our slave markets. Among them were some of Halvard's ancestors," Faen explained to his teammates. They grimaced upon hearing this, and seemed to know where he was going with all this. "One of Halvard's ancestors escaped the raid, and told the rest of his Clan about what happened. Creating a feud between my family and his that has lasted centuries."

"Centuries? Boss, if all that happened so long ago why would this contribute to you and Halvard being enemies?" Friesian said, continuing on with his questions. Faen did not answer immediately, for he thought Friesian would know the answer to that at least, but it seemed his exposure to the Kingdoms' ways and customs had really come at the cost of his understanding of other Demi-Human races.

"Dwarves believe that the sins of the father pass to the son, and they have not forgiven my family for what we did to them centuries ago. We already did not like each other, but learning I was a Tatharion worsened our feelings of enmity." There, he had finally told Friesian and Odori all they needed to know on this particular aspect of the feud between him and Halvard. Now, with that explanation concluded, perhaps he could now rest without any interruptions whatsoever.

As he was positioning himself into a more comfortable position on his bed, however, his teammates had one more question for him.

"Hypothetically speaking, if you wanted to put an end to the feud between your two families, what would you need to do?" Friesian now asked him all of the sudden. From his lying position, Faen was unsure whether he should punch or slap the Dullahan's head for not letting him have some much needed rest right now. The Elf supposed that, if he wanted that rest, he had better answer it quickly and make a point of his desire to relax for a short period of time.

"Hypothetically speaking, my family would need to pay Halvard's back in money, blood, and give them a apology for _all_ the wrongs we've done to them. Bah, the Underworld will freeze over before my family consents to anything like that," the Elf spat as he rested his head on his bed pillow. That was not all he had to say, as he had one last thing to make clear about this feud between him and the Dwarf. "My family and I made peace with our ancestors' actions ages ago, and learnt to live with it. I will not apologise to that Dwarf for what my forefathers did to his, even if the Goddess of Darkness commanded me to. Now, if you will excuse me, I want to catch some shut-eye."

Finally, with that darn conversation over and done with, Faen rested the back of his head on his hands and closed his eyes. Getting the message, Faen could hear the three other team members of FFOG quietly spoke among themselves, though, knowing that he could still hear them, they refrained from speaking of the conversation they just had. A very wise choice as far as Faen was concerned.

What they did speak of included stuff such as the newly arrived exchange students, other teams in Beacon, the coming Vytal Festival, and some sort of dance that was to be held near the end of the semester. It was going to be a very exciting first year in Beacon, and Faen wondered, as well as dreaded, how interesting the rest of their time in the Academy would be. That was a problem for latter, right now they had other things to worry about.

It was as his three teammates were conversing that a subject that almost roused Faen from his rest was brought up. That subject being the game of 'Dark Paths' Friesian had been organising for weeks, hell, months actually.

After all that time spent planning and preparing, Friesian had announced to his companions that this evening was to be when they played their first session of his peculiar role-playing game. It was a bit odd to Faen that his teammate had chosen a school evening to play this game of his, and would have much preferred they do this during a weekend, but the ultimate decision fell on Friesian so what could he do? Faen still had reservations about this entire thing, as did a couple others, but if it were a worthwhile distraction from the stress of studying in Beacon, then he would have no further problems with the Dullahan and whatever he defined as 'fun'.

With that in mind, Faen let his mind drift off to places where no Dwarves or conversations he wanted no part in could follow.

* * *

Hours passed, and that time progressed fairly normally and far more calmly when compared to the events earlier that day and the previous days before.

Upon reuniting with most of RWBY and JNPR at dinner, most because Blake was noticeably absent, the Humans introduced them to a pair of exchange students from Shade Academy. The very same ones that had witnessed the food fight between RWBY and JNPR yesterday, and now Faen had names to give the two young men he had seen. Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias.

Both were members of the same team; Team SSSN, which was lead by none other than Sun himself. As with Team RWBY, that was _not_ confusing at all.

The other other two members of SSSN, Scarlet David and Sage Ayana, could not be with them at the time, having apparently opted to 'accessorise' their dorm to liven it up a little. The Elf saw little point in such an act, seeing as how the exchange students were only staying for the whole Summer and part of the Autumn semesters, but why should he be bothered with what Team SSSN did?

Faen recalled Sun to be the very same monkey Faunus who had helped Blake and Ruby stop that Dust heist down at Vale, and he seemed to be decent enough. He was also friendly, appearing not at all taken aback by the Demi-Human traits of FFOG, not even Grey's nature as a Werewolf, something Faen found quite endearing. Neptune was a similar enough case in Faen's eyes, although, he did question how the Human was able to make some sort of sparkle effect with his teeth when he smiled during their initial introduction. The blue-haired Human was probably using his Aura to do it, or at least something along those lines.

They were, Faen had to admit, fairly decent company at the recently repaired Academy cafeteria, though, Faen treated them in the same way he treated all others he had just met. Acting reserved, speaking little when spoken to, and keeping a somewhat cold expression fixed on his face. It did nothing to dissuade Sun and Neptune from trying to strike up a conversation with him, but they quickly got the idea he was not going to be the most welcoming person at the table, and returned their attention to the others soon after.

On the other hand, his team had a ball of a time with Sun and Neptune, and seemed to have found another team they could interact fairly well with. Grey and Sun got on like a house on fire, and even their compared muscles at the dinner table. Friesian and Neptune, well, Faen was not sure what happened between those two, but they appeared to 'operate on the same wavelength' as Friesian himself would later say. Gods only know what in the hell Faen's teammate was talking about. Odori, while she did not bond with the Faunus and Human at the same level as Grey and Friesian were able to, she conversed with them far easier than Faen did.

After dinner ended, the teams split up to attend whatever personal matters they had going on. For Team Team FFOG, that meant sitting around a table and play Dark Paths.

More precisely, it was the members of Team FFOG and JNPR who were sat sat a round table that had been moved to the front of Professor Oobleck's lecture room. Said Professor was sat at his own desk close by, marking papers and closely watching them from where he was sat.

Beacon's History Teacher had been kind enough to let Friesian host this game of Dark Paths in his classroom, and was extremely glad to, for he was apparently an avid player of the game when he was younger. Learning that even a few of his students were getting into the game visibly brought joy to the Professor. Still, the Professor made it abundantly clear that this would not affect their grades whatsoever, and it was no excuse for Friesian to worm out of the detentions he got for not turning in his work in time.

Not everyone could be here, though, for some of them had other things to do than just sit around a table and play Friesian's role-playing game. Team RWBY were absent because they had some important 'team stuff' to sort out, probably something to do with a moping cat Faunus.

They did promise to play when they got a chance to some other day, but today was just not the right time. Honestly, Faen was sort of relieved RWBY was not to going to join them, for it would have been pretty hard to fit twelve people around the table Friesian and Oobleck had picked for their session. That was not even considering the sheer chaos that would envelope the room if they were gathered together.

All in all, he supposed Blake being, well, Blake was a sort of blessing in disguise.

It was not only Team RWBY who were not present for this session, but also Odori. In her words, she had to speak with Professor Greene, Beacon's teacher of Stealth and Security, about ways she could improve her capabilities in stealth. Considering Odori's Semblance, and how damn good she was at sneaking up on people without it, Faen saw few reasons why Odori would need or even want to spek to Professor Greene. He let her be, though, for self-improvement was a reasonable enough justification, or so a part of him believed anyway.

Back to what was going on in the History Classroom; Faen was sat with one arm resting on the table while his head rested on the hand of the other. The pounding in his head had long since gone, having finally ceased sometime during dinner. He, and those others who were meant present, were waiting for Friesian to put the finishing touches on the table. The Dullahan had been as busy as a bee for the past fifteen minutes, and was positively beaming for the entirety of that time.

He was really, _really_ excited to play Dark Paths.

"So, um, is this everyone else's first time playing this... game?" Pyrrha uncertainly asked a bit nervously from where she was sat.

"I've played games kind of like it. My... uh, my sisters often made me play with them when they saw I was lonely at times. They, they were fun, and I'm sure this will be, too. Right?" Jaune confessed before looking to Friesian for an answer.

"Sure it is!" Friesian confidently answered as he tweaked the position of his Pathmaster Screen, which obscured the Dullahan's part of the table from view. It was then that Friesian's body began to gleefully rub its hands together, while his head, which was resting on a few books behind the screen, had this to declare. "Alright, we're all set. I already gave you all a quick run-down of the rules, but if you need reminding, I'll tell you. Before we begin I just want to ask you, from the bottom of my heart, that you all do not become a bunch of murder hobos. Please don't, it's not cool and no fun at all."

Faen raised an eyebrow at the mention of 'murder hobos,' and looked over to Grey who absently shrugged her shoulders. No one else seemed to get what the Dullahan meant, apart from Doctor Oobleck who shivered at the words, so they just rolled with it and let Friesian start.

Taking his seat with the same gusto he expressed when preparing this whole thing, Friesian's body rolled its shoulders, his head coughed a couple times and then began to speak.

"It is the year 1507 of the Fifth Celestial Era, and it is a troubled time for the people of the once prosperous land of Silvervale. The Wildlings of the Hanging Forest are rising up against the Grand Lords of Silvervale, and are attacking anyone they come across, be they lowly peasant or highborn noble. Resurgence in the activity of cults devoted to the Dread Gods has been noted by the Grand Lords and Temple authorities; with both doing all they can to stamp out these cults. Worst of all, rumours from the southern marches speak of a restless evil coming from the dread realm of Wyrm's Fall, whispering of long-forgotten monsters and other evils that make men whimper in their sleep."

"It is during this time of tribulations, that the reigning lord of Oestefort and one of the Grand Lords of Silvervale, Lord Passerino Gorrion, puts out a call for adventurers all across Silvervale for a very special quest that will see any adventurer bold enough to take it richly rewarded. Hearing this call, adventurers from far and wide journey to fort in pursuit of riches, glory, power, and what other treasures they might seek."

While Friesian recited the background of the game's setting, Faen looked down at his character sheet and went over what he had put down. In it, he had written that he was a Dusk Aelf Fighter who followed the Lancer Discipline, Aelves being the in-game version of Elves, though they had a rather fantastical twist to them. The most notable being their incredible longevity and a natural affinity for Magic. As a Fighter, his character was proficient with every armour and weapon type, though his Discipline added a bonus in his proficiency with plate armour and polearm weapons, among other benefits.

He had spent the better part of half an hour with Friesian sorting out all the information of the sheet, which included stuff like his character's back-story, what his race was, and what class his character was. Faen was legitimately interested in where the Dullahan took not just the story of Faen's character, but the overall campaign as well.

Turning back to what Friesian was saying, the Dullahan was done describing the setting of the world they were in, and where their adventure would begin, and appeared ready to actually start this whole thing.

"Now, passing through the gilded gates of Oestefort's citadel, three newly arrived adventurers are led inside by finely dressed servants who greet them warmly, but wrinkle their noses at their dirty appearance. Now, Jaune, Pyrrha, Grey, I want you guys to describe your characters."

"Woo! Finally," Grey cheered as she excitedly beat her fist into the air. She then turned to Jaune and Pyrrha, and asked them a question. "You want to go first?"

"Uh, sure, I guess I'll start things off," Jaune replied to Grey. "My character, Aymeric Felix, is a Human Fighter with this wearing leather travelling gear over a shirt of chainmail and-"

What came next was nearly a minute of Jaune describing his character's appearance, followed after by Grey, the Pyrrha. From the descriptions of their characters alone and the way the spoke of them, Faen took a guess at the type of people his fellow players had created. Jaune made his sound much like the typical morally upright, loud, and annoyingly confident Paladin who could do no wrong. Grey's character, a Nymph Ranger named Runa, was likely someone who had never taken a bath before, and had no intention of taking one. Pyrrha made a character Half-Aelf named Phaenna, whose class was a Cleric, and her description evoked the image of a rather stunning person in his head.

That was all just guess work, and Faen could very well be wrong in his assumptions. In fact, he was indeed kind of wrong once the three initiated some in-game dialogue, and described some of the actions their characters performed.

Jaune, or Aymeric as Faen supposed he should be saying, still possessed some of the traits of most Paladins, but he operated under an alias for the sake of secrecy. A very unexpected twist, in Faen's opinion at least. What was more unexpected was how bad the alias Jaune had chosen, it being the 'PaladMan'. Really, it had taken all of Faen's will to not join Grey and Nora as they laughed at how ridiculous it sounded.

Runa was almost exactly what he thought Grey would make her, even down to how the Ranger had never once bathed in her life. Her character was also a bit of an intellectual, actually, but was just as care-free as Faen imagined. Faen would not be surprised if Grey made her character do some mischievous stuff for the sake of laughs.

Pyrrha's character, Phaenna, actually surprised him the most. Contrary to his beliefs, Phaenaa was made out to be a plain and unremarkable, average if Faen had to go that far in his description. Very surprising, but to each their own he guessed.

After describing their characters, Friesian led the three through the citadel and let them ask questions and do things on their way to Lord Gorrion. While Aymeric and Phaenna did the more serious things, such as quickly scan the citadel as they walked through its stone halls for anything that might be amiss, Runa did what Faen had suspected Grey would make her do. For one, she 'accidentally' toppled over a suit of armour onto the servant leading the trio, and then she snatched his coin-purse while the others were helping him up.

"What in the hell is your character's alignment?" Faen whispered to Grey's ear, as the table focused on a conversation Aymeric and a NPC voiced by Friesian were having. He had a good idea of what Grey's was, but he wanted to hear it from her own lips.

"Heheheh, Chaotic Neutral," Grey whispered back to him. Of course she would choose to be a chaotic character, what else would she want to be in this kind of game? "I told you what mine is, you gotta tell me yours."

Supposing that it was only fair that he share it with Grey, Faen revealed to her what moral alignment his own character.

"Lawful Evil," he whispered to the Werewolf, taking care to speak low enough that the others could not hear him. That surprised Grey, but she appeared alright with it.

"My, my, that's new of you. Does the rest of the party need to have eyes on the back of their heads in case you try to backstab us?" Faen narrowed his eyes at Grey, not at all amused by the suggestion she just made. He was Lawful Evil, yes, but he would not make his character _that_ evil. Grey seemed to pick up on this mood, and was quick in trying to calm him. "I'm kidding Faen, no need to worry your pointy-eared head about it."

Yes, obviously she was kidding, it was what his best friend did. That idea of betraying the rest of the party latched onto his mind like a leech, however, and the Elf found himself contemplating the idea as something he could do later on during the campaign, if this whole thing proved interesting enough that is. Maybe he should go ahead and betray the party sometime, or at least screw with them in a manner that was disadvantageous for his fellow players, but greatly benefitted him. The point of this whole thing was to have fun, and who knows, perhaps doing just that might prove to be just that if he did it right.

Back to the session, Friesian finally took them to a large hall where the adventurers were to meet Lord Gorrion, and where they also met Ren and Nora's characters.

As with the case of Grey and Jaune's characters, those made by Ren and Nora were similar to how he expected them to be. Ren's, a Tiefling Mage called Guiying Jing, was a fairly quiet and much calmer person when compared to the others in the session, and came across as wiser as well. Fitting really, since he had the highest Wisdom points in the party.

Nora's character, well, how else could he describe her other than being a near copy of Nora herself? Skadi, a Half-Giant Barbarian, could be summed up as hyperactive, enthusiastic, and, as stated before, Nora. Now that he thought of it, the whole lot of them had more or less copy-and-pasted themselves into this game, or at least most of them had anyway. It was not a bad thing, just an observation he made.

"Looking around, you see you are in this rather grandiose hall covered in various hunting trophies, and the coat-of-arms that belonged to past rulers of Oestefort. As you're all looking around, you see this figure just standing over to the side. He looks a lot less ragged when compared to the majority of other adventurers in the hall, and he's holding this 2.1 metre (7 feet) tall spear in one hand." Friesian then turned to face him, the Elf already knowing what his teammate was about to say. "Faen, it's now your turn to describe your character."

All eyes were now on him, and not all of them were as friendly as Grey and Friesian. He could actually feel the mildly resentful glares from Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren.

Yes, his treatment of Jaune before he finally proved himself in that test he had partaken in had not gone without repercussions. For one, while Jaune had been willing to bear his spite and forgave him, the others in JNPR found it less easy to do so, and held it against Faen. Not only that, they were also under the impression he had to apologise for how he acted prior the test. Did he care at all for what the Humans thought of his behaviour towards Jaune?

No, not even the slightest.

As far as Faen was concerned, he was justified and there was no way in hell anyone could convince him otherwise. All that aside, the Elf returned his attention to the game they were playing, and began to describe the character he had made.

"Alright then, my character... uh, he's... he's a Dusk Aelf wearing travelling gear made of beaten leather under a coat of steel scale-mail. Around his shoulders is a long blue hooded cloak embroidered with silver. He has very pale skin and long dark hair that falls down to his elbows. His right hand is holding the wooden haft of a spear, which has this red ribbon wrapped around the area beneath the steel speartip. His name is... Gwather"

Yes, this was his character. Faen could have made him look flashier, colourful, sounded more excited while describing him, or been more imaginative when he created his character's appearance in general, but the Elf saw little point in doing so. He had a character, one he made up for this odd game, and that was all that ultimately mattered.

Having described his character to the others, the thing he had to do now was gauge how they reacted to it, and, depending on their reactions, figure out ways to punish them later on if they decided to bad-mouth him.

"I slide next to him and say, 'Heya there! What's your name?'" Grey immediately spoke up, bumping her shoulder against his as she did. This prompted Faen to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose at her. Well, if they were going to do this, he may as well play along.

"Gwather just gives her a dirty look and takes three steps away from her," he said, giving Grey the selfsame look he had just described.

"I follow after him and poke his cheek," his best friend quickly followed, cheekily going so far as to actually poke him in real-life. Irritated by Grey's impudent actions meant to annoy him, Faen thought off ways to get back at her, and found one that appealed to him while still playing the game. The Elf was well aware she was doing this all for a joke, but he really did want to stab something right now, and this was the next best thing to actually doing it.

"I grab my spear with both hands and try to stab Runa with it!" He said, jabbing his hand at Grey's side as he spoke.

A rough start to what would be an adventuring party, but all assembled groups of people started that way or something alike to it. Of course, not all groups have a member who tries to stab another, or so he hoped anyway, but Faen believed his point was valid enough.

"Okay, well, you guys will have to roll a hit check for that," Friesian said as his body scratched the top of his head at his teammates' decisions.

Unfortunately for Faen he rolled a six against Grey's fifteen, meaning his character's attack on Grey's completely missed. In hindsight, him missing his attack was actually a good thing, for it would have been most detrimental for the party if they got into a fight later on with one party member a few hit points short. Still, vengeance would be his, and Faen would get back at Grey for what she had done. Trivial though it may all be.

What followed after his little scuffle with Grey was a considerable amount of filler in Faen's opinion and nothing that drove their Campaign's plot forward. Sure there was plenty of interactions where the party laid down their possible backstories, and some interaction with NPCs, yet, it was ultimately nothing worth going into too much detail on. It was as Nora and Ren were finishing up an in-game conversation, one regarding the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow, that a knocking noise came from the classroom's door.

Professor Oobleck, who had been silently watching them as he graded some papers, was at the door in a flash and opened it just as quickly. The person who was stood at the doorway was Professor Taupe, and if Faen had to be honest, he was thankful that it was her who had knocked. If it had been someone else, another Beacon student for example, there was no telling how he or they could have reacted to seeing them all playing Dark Paths.

"Why good evening, Kallisto! To what do I have the pleasure of you knocking on my door at this time?" Oobleck questioned his colleague in his usual rapid manner of speech, which had taken a great deal of getting used to when classes began.

"Hey, Bartholemew, you got the results for Class-" The Gorgon stopped after taking two steps into the classroom when she saw the students sat around the table, gods only know what she was thinking right now. A _very_ awkward silence hung over the classroom as Taupe took in the sight of what Faen and the other students were doing, while also looking over to Professor Oobleck, who patiently stood there as though nothing were amiss. After what may have been five seconds spent taking in what was going on in the classroom, Taupe slowly turned her attention back to Professor Oobleck and began to say, "Professor-"

"Doctor! We have been working together for five years; must I remind you of that again?" Oobleck abruptly interrupted her, a severe and very annoyed tone in his voice.

Silently, the students exchanged looks with each other after hearing _Doctor_ Oobleck reprimand Professor Taupe. All of them had been on the receiving end of his insistent reminding of having a Doctorate in History. To see someone such as the famed Kallisto Taupe be subject to it was oddly amusing in its own way, though it would be for the best that he never voice such an opinion in the Gorgon's presence for the sake of his personal health.

"Fine, _Doctor_ ," Taupe sighed while also rolling her eyes at him; "do you have those test results from Class 3A? They need to be marked by tomorrow."

"Of course," the green-haired professor replied to her. Doctor Oobleck then zipped right back to his desk, picked up a stack of papers that had been laying on it, and was back in front of Taupe in the blink of an eye. "Here you are."

Taupe quietly accepted the papers, completely unfazed by the speed her colleague had moved, and headed back through the classroom's door. Before she left, however, the Gorgon looked back towards the students and eyed them all curiously. He did not know if it was just his imagination, but Faen could have sworn he saw Taupe's gaze linger on him for two seconds prior to turning her head away from them and passing through the doorway, quietly closing the door behind her once she was out. It probably was just him, for what reason could someone such as her focus on him out of all the people in this room?

Sure she seemed to have taken an interest in him, for she had been repeatedly asking question regarding his future plans in all the counselling lessons, while she had not even mentioned that subject to anyone else who went to her sessions. Still, he doubted that such interest would amount to anything, and that the Gorgon was simply concerned for him or whatever. Any teacher worth their salt should be concerned for their students' future, especially if they were teaching the next generation of Huntsmen, so her interest surely did not make him special when compared to his peers.

Still, the prospect of being the focus of Professor Taupe's attention parked something in Faen that he could not place. Oh well, back to playing Dark Paths, he supposed.

"Carry on with your session, students," Oobleck signalled to them as he zipped right back to his desk and continued to sort the papers on it.

"Alright, so is there anything else you guys want to do?" Receiving no reply from anyone, Friesian carried on speaking. "Okay then. As you are all 'mingling' with the rest of the adventurers present, the doors at the other side of the hall finally open, and this man dressed in ostensive clothes made of the finest materials money can buy with a cloak made of dark velvet comes in to join you all. He's a man in his mid-forties, with long greying brown hair, and he has this pointed goatee. None of you except Gwather have met him before, but you all know this man to be Lord Gorrion, the ruler of Oestefort."

So, their characters were finally meeting this 'Lord Gorrion', and there was little doubt in Faen's mind that something big was going to go down soon after. The already excited glint in Friesian's eyes had grown even more.

"'Welcome, welcome! I, Lord Gorrion, bid you all welcome to my abode and wish the warmest of greetings to you all!'" Friesian boomed in a voice meant to sound gravelly and slightly aged. After going on a brief tangent where he explained a few details about the lord and a few other pleasantries, Friesian moved on to more interesting matters. "'I will be frank with you all, this quest I am asking you all to participate in shall be perilous, and there shall be no shortage of ways you may die in it. However, perilous though this quest may be, you shall be adequately rewarded for all the trouble that shall befall you. The reward for it shall be a thousand gold pieces to all those willing and stalwart enough to take up this quest for me."

"A thousand gold pieces?" Faen whispered, stunned by the sum that this lord was willing to pay. He was not the only one, as everyone else sat at the table reacted in the same way as he had. Even Doctor Oobleck seemed intrigued by what Friesian had announced.

"'A week ago, several Wildlings from the Hanging Forest raided a caravan bound for Oestefort. The mongrels slew all, and made off with a prize most dear to me. I am asking you to venture into the Hanging Forest, retrieve my prize, and return it to me.'"

Now they all knew what Lord Gorrion wanted of them, and quite the dubious request it was. Naturally, Faen began to shift through all kinds of ideas for why this Lord Gorrion was willing to pay adventurers a thousand gold pieces for some trinket stolen by some barbarians.

The idea of Gorrion's 'prize' being some mundane object such as jewellery and other such items passed his mind, but was quickly dismissed, for nothing Faen could think of could be worth that much. A family member was a more likely possibility, yet, the vagueness in which Friesian had made Gorrion speak of this 'prize' had him doubting that as well. One more idea that ran through Faen's mind was that he sought an artifact of religious or magical properties, for if he knew anything about these fantasy worlds people invented, they were chalk full of the stuff and people were willing to pay a pretty sum of coin to get ahold of them.

By the Gods, he was actually getting so invested in this game; he was speculating a fictional character's motivation for hiring his own fictional character. It was... weird, and oddly exciting.

Maybe there was fun to be derived from this game.

After Friesian had Gorrion explain this quest to Faen and the other players, he had most of the other adventurers vacate from the hall. Their fear of venturing into the territory of these savage Wildings forcing them to turn down the substantial reward the lord was willing to pay for their services. All that remained were the players, and a dozen other nameless adventurers, who Faen thought were bound to die soon if they went on this quest.

What Faen expected to happen next was he and the other adventurers have a lengthy chat with Gorrion about this quest he was sending them on. They all had questions that needed answering and Faen wanted a better image of the Lord of Oestefort's character. Friesian had plans of his own, however.

"Now... I want you all to roll an Initiative check," Friesian deviously smirked at them all as he spoke.

That immediately caught everyone's attention, and Faen had to go over his little notebook to find which die he was meant to use, and what it was Friesian was asking of them. What he found had him raising a brow and looking at the Dullahan curiously, for, according to the short notes he had taken on how to play this game, Initiative determined the 'order of battle'. Meaning the roll they were supposed to take now would decide who and when combatants could take a turn.

 _'So, we will be fighting some, will we? Should be interesting, or I hope it will be,'_ Faen thought to himself as he picked up one of the twenty-sided dice Oobleck had loaned to them, and rolled it on his space of the table. The others either remembered or figured it out on their own, and started to roll their dice.

"We're going to be fighting something now?" Grey questioned as she frowned at the 3 she had rolled.

"It would seem so," Ren's voice calmly replied in answer to Grey's question as he rolled a natural twenty. Lucky him.

"About time, I say!" Nora said as she took one of the twenty-sided die and rolled it on her side of the table, it immediately landing on a 10.

Fascinated though he might be at the idea of roleplaying a fight, never had Faen thought such a thing would ever happen; there was something he wished to know. They had spent the greater part of thirty-seven minutes getting to this particular point in their session, and he wanted to know when they would be finishing. The Elf had no particular plans for the night, apart from reading a chapter of 'The Red Prince' before bed, but he felt compelled to ask either way.

"Before we begin, Friesian, would you mind telling us how long we'll be doing this?" Faen's question had grabbed the attention of the others at the table, and they too faced Friesian, patiently waiting for what he had to say in response.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I kinda forgot to tell you guys," the Dullahan replied. Looking up from the table and towards the clock that hung on the wall behind Doctor Oobleck, he checked the time, and appeared to make a quick calculation before his head turned back to Faen and gave an answer. "We're gonna keep going until 9pm, guys."

They would keep playing until nine? They had started at seven o'clock, and they were meant to play for another hour and twenty-four minutes?

Looking to the others, Faen saw that news had also caught them off-guard, but their specific reactions to it varied differently from one another. In Jaune's case, he appeared to have anticipated the length of their session, and was rather fine with it in all honesty. Nora reached into her bag and pulled out some snacks and drinks, having apparently come prepared for this eventually, though how she could possibly know Faen could only guess at. Pyrrha was looking around like he was, checking out how the others reacted, probably unsure what to make of it like he did. Ren, well, he accepted the news, and reached into and pulled out some crisps from a bag Nora was offering to him.

Next to Faen, Grey was biting her lip with a thoughtful glint in her eyes. She was likely thinking of whether or not she could stay for that long, for she may have some things to do later.

In the end, it appeared the lot of them would be staying for the duration of time Friesian had stated this session would last, though it would have been far more convenient if he told them beforehand. While they were getting ready for this 'fight', the Dullahan created a makeshift diorama on the table with some school supplies, with some other easily obtainable items placed to represent the party and the NPCs. Honestly, the diorama looked as cheap as it really was, but Faen could give his teammate credit for trying.

As the 'fight' began, Faen wondered where Odori was right now. Hopefully she was having fun right now.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the woods some distance from the main building complex of Beacon, a squirrel was minding its own business and doing what all squirrels would in this time of year. Searching through their habitats for some food.

It was later than when the creature would normally go off foraging for food, so the squirrel was being even more wary of predators that might seek to make a meal out of the bushy-tailed animal as it searched the woodland area it called home.

After a good bit of searching, this little critter in particular struck gold and found some berries that had fallen onto the ground, which it promptly began to devour in quick succession. As it ate, the squirrel's eyes darted here and there, and its ears perked this way and that, thankfully there was no sign of any threats approaching it. Regardless, it was ready to dart up the nearest tree if it detected anything shifty coming near.

Munching on its second berry, the squirrel suddenly bolted upright and made ready to run when it thought it had heard the sound of a foot stepping on grass and fallen leaves not far away from where it was. Turning its eyes over towards the source of the noise, the woodland creature saw there was nothing to be seen, but remained vigilant and still for several tense seconds. Five seconds past. Ten seconds past. Fifteen seconds passed, and still there was nothing anywhere near the squirrel.

Sure it was alone, and that what it had heard was nothing more than a branch falling from a tree, the squirrel resumed eating the berries that it had found lying on the floor.

As it picked up the fourth berry, a tall shadow suddenly fell over it, and a grasping hand flew straight for the squirrel's neck from out of seemingly nowhere. The hand was on the little creature before it could drop the berry it had been eating and run for the nearest tree. Caught completely by surprise, the squirrel squealed in terror as it was forcefully lifted from the ground and made to face its assailant, its black orbs meeting crimson-coloured eyes that gazed intensely at the squirrel's squirming form.

The small creature struggled against its attacker's ever tightening grip, its tiny paws desperately scratching at their hands as its airway and neck was slowly being crushed. Whilst that happened, those crimson eyes fixatedly watched the squirrel flail around in their grasp, absorbing everything from its frantic squeaks to the wild, terrified look in its eyes. Feeling this alone was not good enough; the assailant took hold of one of the squirrel's paws and violently twisted it, causing the tiny creature to generate even more pain filled screeches in response to what was being done to it. Smiling gleefully, the squirrel's attacker proceeded to do the same to each of the creature's other limbs, dislocating one of its arms and legs as they did so.

After a full minute spent struggling for its life, and suffering for its attacker's amusement, the squirrel's eyes glossed over and its body went limp in their hands. Seeing that the squirrel was quite likely dead, the attacker held it upside down by its bushy tail, and examined its unmoving form. It would not be the first time an animal had played dead while in their grasp, and _she_ wanted that first time to be the last.

The 'normal' round ears at the sides of her head, and the tall, pointed fox-ears on top, listened closely for any breathing sounds coming from the squirrel's mouth and nose. Close-set eyes with crimson irises watched for whether the creature's chest was rising and falling. Five, bushy, black tails swayed from side-to-side as this person carefully waited for a reaction from their prey.

Deciding the squirrel had indeed perished after spending twenty seconds examining the creature's limp corpse, they unceremoniously dropped it onto the floor before nonchalantly walking away from it. Leaving the woods to claim the squirrel's body, or whatever creature that might find a interest in it. The animal was dead now, so it no longer held any value to its killer, and they did not care for what would happen to it once they had departed from these woods.

Sauntering through the trees, while also cleaning her hands with a cleaning wipe they always kept on hand, the crimson-eyed killer made a bee-line back towards Beacon Academy. It was getting late, and their team must be missing them by now.

* * *

 **There we go, another chapter done.**

 **The Dark Paths segment was supposed to be longer, but I cut it short so it did not feel as though I was dragging it out.**

 **Halvard Bergson: 'Halvard' comes from the Old Norse name** ** _Hallvarðr_ , which means 'stone guardian'. 'Bergson' is a mix of 'berg' meaning mountain in Swedish, and the meaning of 'son' should be pretty self explanatory.**

* * *

 _A Guide to Demi-Humans by David Silver_

 _Dwarves:_ _Proud, traditional, and more than capable of drinking most people under the table, the Dwarves were an interesting race to research. On average, their race is half the height of a fully grown human, possess stocky builds, with a naturally heightened sense of sight and smell. As with the Elves, the Dwarves trust had to be won before I could spend an adequate enough time to learn of their culture and society. Once I had proven myself worthy of their trust and time, I was able to learn a great deal, and earned life-long friends among the Dwarves I researched._

 _A very peculiar trait of the Dwarves is an almost universal desire to remember every wrong done to their themselves and their race as a whole. Ingrained not only in their society, but seemingly their very psyche itself, all Dwarves will feel a compulsive need to enact some sort of retribution on any who have or are related to someone who has wronged them or their ancestors. The exact causes of this need are, as of the time of this writing, unknown._


	17. Rising Stress

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello reader, I sincerely hope you and those close to you are safe and alright.**

 **Now, I happen to have** **a bit of bad news, for my PC looks to be on its last legs or at least having some potentially resolvable issues. Because of this, I had to use my phone to write most of this chapter, and, until I fix my PC, it will be how I write chapters from now on. This, you can imagine, is not the most convenient way to write anything except text messages. I probably just need to replace the fan or clean its insides, but just for the sake of not causing any irreversable damage to my PC, I will abstain from using it until it is fixed.**

 **If the quality of this chapter is not as good, and there a more noticeable amount of errors, then I apologise in advance.**

 **With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Rising Stress**

"That, my dear students, is how I won the admiration of the entire town, and won myself a cask of the finest beer I have ever tasted in the process. Hahahahah!" Professor Port laughed heartily once he was done retelling debatably story of even more questionable relevance to the lesson. No one else in the class room was laughing with him, it was deader than a graveyard in here, but that did not stop the professor from laughing for a whole five seconds.

The Beacon first-years had more or less gotten used to it all, and had devised different ways to make use of the times their Grimm Studies Professor rambled on, which happened often than should be acceptable.

In all honesty, they probably should try to make him stop, but all their previous attempts had been acts of futility, and the upperclassmen told them all not to bother trying when they were asked how to stop Port. Some still tried, yet the professor flat-out ignored them and continued his tales, so Faen differed to experience, and let him be. His chosen activity being to either read from one of his textbooks or read one of his books. The latter being his choice of activity for today's lesson with Port.

Checking the clock, he saw it happened to be a minute before their classes ended, so Faen thought it best to prepare to leave as soon as the bell rang. First, he needed to wake the sleeping Werewolf sat right next to him.

"He's done," Faen sighed as he lightly elbowed Grey back to wakefulness, this thing having become a bit of a routine between the the two best friends.

"One more hour, please," the Werewolf groaned as she sat up in her seat, blinking repeatedly as her eyes readjusted to the light that poured through the lecture hall's windows. She had been napping face first on an open textbook, which now had a couple droplets of drool marking the pages.

"You already slept more than eight hours last night. You don't need another," the Elf muttered back to Grey as he wiped away a bit of drool on the edge of her mouth with his uniform jacket's sleeve. She stuck her tongue at Faen once he retreated his arm, but she expressed her thanks to him by patting his arm lightly.

"Awww, how cute," Faen heard Yang whisper loud enough for him to hear from her seat behind his. Looking up at her, he saw the blonde-haired Human send him a cheeky smile, finding what he did for Grey somehow amusing or something. Faen did what he always did, casting a critical eye at Yang for her comment, but he had gotten used to Yang's jests in the same way he did Grey's, and knew it was nothing to be taken seriously.

Looking away from Yang and to the rest of his team, Faen saw they getting out of their own routines, too.

Friesian, his head more specifically, spent the last half-an-hour of Port's ramblings chewing on a piece of gum, and disposed of it by sticking it under his desktop. While he certainly did disapprove of chewing gum, at least the Dullahan had the decency of chewing with his mouth closed, unlike the vast majority who chewed their gum with their mouths open. Meanwhile, Odori put her pencil down after having drawn an image of her nagamaki, Divine Omen, onto a page of her notebook. There were other images as well, such as more foxes and a very detailed leaf, each one proving her skill with a pencil was more than exemplary in his eyes.

At least there was no need for him to wake them up, for he had no wish to baby his team more than he already did.

Casting a quick glance around the classroom's stands, Faen saw they were far more occupied than they normally were, and those who sat in the usually empty spaces bore the many unfamiliar faces of the exchange students from the other Academies. They all students after all, and the upcoming Vytal Festival they were to be a part of was no excuse to no learn while at Beacon. Halvard and his team were among those also in the class, and the only remedying fact about sharing a class with him again, was that the Dwarf had to suffer like he did during his first days at the Academy.

It was still the first week of Beacon's second semester, and it had been entertaining to watch the exchange students adjust to the personalities and eccentricities of the Beacon teaching staff. Professor Port's rambling tales being the least of their troubles.

Doctor Oobleck's lesson were troublesome for the new arrivals, due in part because of his incredibly fast manner of speech, which made him very hard to follow. The other factor that made his lessons hard for the exchange students was Oobleck's insistence of being referred to as 'Doctor', and he could become pretty snappy at people if they forgot, as had been seen during that Dark Paths session. In fact, Faen heard there was a betting pool among the Beacon upperclassmen on who would be the first to forget and be thoroughly reminded of Oobleck's doctorate.

Professor Goodwitch was a bit of a nightmare for many of the exchange students, especially those from Shade Academy, who seemed to have a more relaxed and laid-back attitude to things. During the first lesson back, Faen watched as Goodwitch used her Semblance to pull chewing gum from the mouths of two Shade students and threatened to stick it in their hair, much to the shock of everyone in the class. After three more incidents where the professor dispensed her brand of discipline, which mainly involved waving her riding crop around and generally being scary, everyone soon learned to adhere to the Academy's rules while in her presence, no matter how ballsy of a person they might be.

When it came to Professor Taupe, while no one had her in any regular lessons, the exchange students discovered the Gorgon to be someone not to be messed around with either. Anyone caught causing trouble would soon find themselves frozen on the spot, becoming victims of her paralysis Semblance.

For example, one of Halvard's teammates had gotten into a scuffle with Sky, a member of CRDL, and it looked about ready to become violent until Taupe froze the two in place. That had been an especially satisfying interaction to witness, for in Faen's eyes, any misfortune that befell the Dwarf's team was a misfortune that had fallen on Halvard as well.

Did that make him sound petty and childish? Probably, but Faen could not deny the joy he felt whenever he saw Halvard and his team be put in their proper place.

The bell signifying an end to classes rang through the class, waking whoever remained asleep up until now, and interrupting another tale Port had begun to tell.

"Oh, is that the time already? Well students, that will be all for today. For your assignment, I want you all to write up a lengthy report on the voracious Manticore, from its habitats, attack strategies, and, if you are bold enough, how _you_ would defeat one!" Port announced to the students as they began to pack up their stuff, with those who had been asleep moving more sluggishly than those who had not.

A report on a Manticore, hardly the hardest assignment they had ever received in their short time in Beacon, but reaching the specified target word limit would be a bitch. It was as FFOG were in the corridor outside

"Thank gods that's over and done with," Grey yawned, spooking a passing Human student who was treated to the sight of the Werewolf's long, sharp canines. "What's next on our schedule?"

"No more classes, but Odori and I are going off to spar," Faen replied to Grey's question. "Do you plan on joining us?"

"Nah, I'm still recovering from the whalloping that Halfling gave me earlier," Friesian groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck. Yes, that most likely been the most embarrassing sight any of them had seen in their lives. "I mean, seriously, who uses a fecking frying pan as a bloody weapon? It makes absolutely no sense, I tell ya!"

He was more concerned by the fact that the Halfling had been using a frying pan, instead of how astonishingly brutal his defeat by that Halfling had been? Or even the fact a Halfling beat him in the first place?

Friesian was an alright guy, but he needed to work on his priorities.

It was a short, unremarkable trip to their dorm room and then, for Faen and Odori at least, to the locker room, where they changed into their combat uniforms in the first location and picked their weapons at the last. Small talk was made, yes, yet most of it was of great worth had been said between the Elf and Kitsune.

They spoke of their recent lessons, the happenings in the world outside of Beacon's walls, and some stuff about their fellow classmates and Huntsmen-in-Training. The atmosphere remained rather casual between the two of them, until he made the poor choice of mentioning Odori's sisters, causing Faen's partner to almost flip out in front of at least half a dozen students. It took some effort and verbal persuasion, but Faen was capable of calming her down before she caused any sort of scene, and resumed their walk to the sparring rooms. More than enough people were sending them looks, more specifically at Faen himself, which had him wondering why exactly they were eyeing him.

As far as Faen was aware, he had not done anything recently that was deserving of these inquisitive and somewhat judging looks the other students were sending his way. Disliking the way they were gazing at him, Faen cast an icy glare their way, causing all of those who were staring to turn and go back to what they had been doing before.

It was most likely nothing, and he had more pressing concerns than them. Among those concerns being his partner, and her possibly sadistic tendencies.

In regards to that, he had made little progress in discovering the truth of Odori's alleged sadism, yet if there was anything he learnt whilst closely watching Odori, he had found that the Kitsune was in danger of letting loose a near-violent outburst when confronted by something she greatly disliked. Outbursts such as the one she had a minute ago. Well, he was trying at least, so there was no way he could be criticised for not doing so if he ever met Hitomi again.

Moving on from that little incident, there was one more thing that occurred. It was minor and even more brief than Odori's near outburst, yet it struck him just as hard.

While Faen and his partner were walking down a corridor towards the sparring rooms, Faen's eyes spotted a young woman clad in the signature black and grey uniform of Haven Academy striding in the opposite direction of him. While the majority of other exchange students were of passing interest to Faen, this one had caught his attention the moment he laid eyes on her.

Long black hair that partially covered her left eye, smooth fair skin, a perfectly proportioned figure, and, perhaps the most striking thing he found about the Haven student, were her bright amber eyes. Not only had her appearance captured his interest, but her abilities in a sparring match had done so as well. For while he had not seen her fight often, the one occasion where Faen did left him believing her to be at least a match for him, maybe she was actually better.

She had arrived at Beacon on the same day the Atlesian students, and her own team had become acquaintances with RWBY. He had not had the pleasure of speaking with her personally, yet he heard a fair bit about her, and discovered the Haven student's name by listening in on the conversations of others and actually looking it up by himself.

What was the Haven student's name? Cinder Fall.

Now he was not interested in her _that_ way, nor had the thought of approaching her crossed his mind, but that did not mean he could not admire beauty. Faen was not alone in this, for he had caught several of his peers eyeing her when they believed no one was looking, and overheard conversations between friends regarding the 'smoking hot exchange student from Haven.' Unlike them, Faen chose to not to look like a creep, and just kept what thoughts he had about Cinder to himself.

Still, it was a shame she was only a Human, and possessed those typical round ears almost all non-Elves had. If Cinder were of Elven blood, or perhaps of some other Demi-Human race he found to be agreeable, he might have been more interested in her. Especially if that meant being lost in those amber eyes of hers, which had an intensity and almost fiery quality to them that Faen had never seen before.

The possibility of Cinder having some Elven blood running through her veins was not out of the question, for, though she seemed much like any other Human, Faen was sure he could see features that could indicate her being of some Elf descent. For one, she had the almond shaped eyes characteristic of all Elves, another being her pretty lithe and slim frame, a deliberate elegance in her motions that he saw only in adult Elves, and the general air that surrounded Cinder just felt so... familar. As much as he might like the possibility to be the case, Faen knew those signs could honestly be him just grasping for ways to relate to this mystifying beauty, and that she really was an ordinary Human.

Realising what was running through his mind, Faen quickly and discreetly rose his left hand to his cheek and lightly slapped it twice in an effort to refocus his thoughts.

 _'What am I thinking?'_ Faen mentally questioned himself, internally frowning at the way he allowed his mind to drift to such base thoughts and desires. He was above such things, or so he believed anyway. Besides, his purpose for coming here to Beacon was to look after Grey and become a Huntsman, not to ogle or fantasize about members of the fairer sex.

Not slowing even slowing their pace, he and Odori passed by Cinder without so much as exchanging a look or word with each other. An unexpected and frustrating impulse to look over his shoulder and look at her grabbed at his mind, but he wrenched it off, and continued on his way. Damn these teenage hormones, damn them and the accursed effect they had on him.

"So, that is Cinder," Odori whispered to him once they could no longer hear the Haven student's footfalls echo from behind them.

"Yes she is, dare I ask why you are bringing her up?" Faen questioned, a brow raised in suspicion.

"I have been hearing a fair few things about this... Human. She sounds to be interesting if what I hear is true," the Kitsune continued to idly comment, notably slowing her pace slightly as she did. "Quite the, uh... physical specimen is she not? Why, what do _you_ think of her, Faen? Please, I would very much like to know."

When she had finished speaking, Odori stopped in her tracks and faced him, Faen promptly doing the same so they could continue this increasingly odd conversation with each other. His partner had asked similar such questions regarding their fellow students several times before; requesting his thoughts on people like Grey, Amarantha, and even Ruby. What made this conversation odd, though, was how he felt this to be more of an interrogation than the series of casually asked questions she had put towards him on those previous occasions.

Things at the Academy had become difficult enough, Faen did not need his own teammates to make their time here in Beacon even more so than it already was.

"She seems to be, as you say, interesting, but ultimately not worth vesting much effort into knowing," he answered, whilst crossing his arms over his chest. Them stopping was a sign to him that Odori had more to say, probably something she believed to be serious, and Faen felt positively uncomfortable with the thought.

"Is that so?" The Kitsune hummed, giving off the impression that she did not believe him in how her eyes scanned his face, raising Faen's level of annoyance with this pause on their way to the sparring rooms even higher.

"Where are you getting at with this, Odori? We have sparring to do, and I want to get it done with before dinner," Faen bluntly said to his partner, feeling that this was going to be one of those conversations he would quickly come to dislike. Funny how a lot of those had started to crop up lately, and with them came a more frequent amount of migraines.

His partner tilted her head up to the ceiling and tapped a finger on her chin, as if she were internally debating on whether or not she should say what was on her mind. This act of hers only exacerbated Faen's impatience, and he let it show by tapping the fingers of his right hand against left bicep, doing so as loudly as possible. She noticed his action, obvious from the way her fox ears twitched every time he did it, but only ceased this act after he had done so for the fifth time.

"Well, since you asked," Odori uttered as she pulled out of her previous pose and shrugged her shoulders in an exaggerated manner. "You are not... carnally intrigued by Cinder, are you?"

"Why are you asking?" Faen kept his cool composure as he spoke, yet the words had almost died on his lips and the speed of his response hastier than it should have been.

"You did not answer my question," she quickly deflected his question, planting both of her hands on her hips. Now that really irritated him, but what she said was true, and attempting to avoid it had most likely done more harm than good. The Kitsune would be even more suspicious of him, and scrutinse every word he spoke from here on out.

"No, I am not 'carnally intrigued' in the Human, as you put it. There are far more important and fascinating things than her," Faen finally responded, having chosen his words more carefully and avoiding direct eye contact with Odori in an attempt to escape from her inquisitive gaze. The action probably did him no favours in trying to conceal the truth of his words, for only half of his answer was true, but he just wanted to get away from the look Odori was giving him.

Honestly, Cinder did fill in some of the checkmarks of what Faen found desirable and attractive in a member of the opposite sex, though, the same could be said for many of his female peers. Attracted though he might be, Faen saw little point in trying anything with those individuals who met his standards, for the last intimate relationship he had was unexciting and failed. Why would the Elf bother to try something he knew he did not like and offered little benefit to him?

"Can we just go to the sparring rooms and train now?" He insisted, unwilling to prolong this conversation of theirs and answer any more questions that threatened to compromise his composed exterior. That previous question where he wanted to understand Odori's intentions erased, for the chances of her giving him a straight and true answer were slim to nil in his mind. Not that it might have really mattered in the first place.

"Sure, sure," Odori answered, nonchalantly acting as though their exchange had not happened and striding down the hall ahead of Faen. At this, Faen could only shake his head as he began to follow after his teammate.

After all this time spent with the others, trying desperately to figure out all the nuances of interacting with different people, he still found things difficult. Sometimes he wondered whether or not he should stop, and save up the time and effort it took to attempt such a futile quest.

Upon finally entering a sparring room, the very same one he first met Yasmin he realised, Faen and Odori saw they were not the first ones here, and there were already others who had chosen to practise against each other before dinner. Among the more noticeable was Tora of Team AMRT and Yatsuhashi of a second-year team named CFVY, the both of them currently contending against one another in a rather intense duel. Most of the other students in the large room had opted to stand back and watch the fight, and wait until it was over before they themselves engaged one other. Not that Faen could blame them.

Tora and Yatsuhashi were titans among the student body, towering over almost everyone in regards to their height and physical strength, with the former bound to grow even larger later in life. From the very start of Beacon, Faen had overheard talk of people expressing a wish to see these two fight, and those instances where they did were indeed spectacles to behold.

Their attacks would shake the room, dents or even massive impact craters were left on any surface they struck, and both were capable of sending the other flying into the air with a single blow if they tried hard enough. Another possible driving force for the excitement that accompanied a duel between the two was, despite the apparent similarities between the two, the differences that separated them.

Tora was undeniably hot-blooded and loud, and could be as much a danger to his team as he was to his opponents. From what Faen had seen of Yatsuhashi, he was the opposite, being cool and collected, and putting the welfare of his team above the destruction of his enemy.

It was also remarkable to see a mere Human such as Yatsuhashi go toe-to-toe against Tora, for the Oni race were famed for their naturally great strength, with only Demi-Humans of similar or greater size than them being a possible match. Of course, the Human was aided by his Aura, but if one removed that variable, he could still exchange blows with Tora on an equal footing. That fact alone was worthy of his respect, and Faen silently wished the two luck as he walked away from their awe-inspiring battle.

Finding an unoccupied part of the sparring room, the two walked over and took it before anyone else got the same idea as them, and began to ready themselves. The space they had taken was not particularly large, certainly not enough for them to perform some of their flashier techniques, but it was a good enough space.

Saying a quick, silent prayer to the Goddess of Fortune, Faen placed his helmet over his head, faced Odori, and was about to draw Gwaedh from its scabbard until he noticed she was just standing there, a deliberating expression set on his partner's face. Whatever could be going on through her mind, Faen could not tell from just looking at her.

"Is everything alright?" Faen asked Odori, taking a careful step towards the Kitsune. If she was having some sort of issue where she needed comforting Odori had chosen the wrong person to console her, for he was bad at that kind of stuff. On the other hand, in the event she was going to bring up their last conversation or something related to it, Faen intended to cut Odori off or simply leave the dparring room all together.

"Oh yes, I am positively fine. If it is quite alright with you, Faen, might I propose an idea to you?" Odori asked him, quickly shaking herself free from her contemplative state and tilting her head as she spoke.

"Go ahead," Faen replied to Odori's question after a brief pause. He distinctly remembered that one of the last times his partner proposed an idea to him, where, nded up having dinner with her sisters, and learning she was a possible sadist. He was now a bit more cautious when taking any ideas from Odori, but she was his partner, and what possible harm could this new proposition bring?

"I was thinking that, since we will be together as a team for the next four years, that you and I could learn how to use each other's weapons. There's no knowing what might happen during any missions we go on, and it would be beneficial in the long-run if the need arose, don't you agree?"

Absently blinking at Odori for a second, Faen rubbed his chin once he fully comprehended what his teammate had just asked him, and began to run it through his mind.

He could not fault the reasoning behind his partner's suggestion, and the same idea she posed had run through his mind before, but there was something holding him back from fully agreeing with it. He was no weapon-nut like Ruby was, yet, he was still very attached to both Gwaedh and Aglar, and the thought of someone else using them in battle was almost cnconcievable. Not even Grey, during all the years of their friendship, had ever been bold enough to ask such an thing of him.

Again, though, Faen could see that Odori had a point, and even now he was imagining scenarios where he might have no choice but to use one of his teammate's weapons instead of his own. Each scenario he imagined became more dire than the last, and Faen felt himself sway towards Odori's line of thinking with every one he came up with.

Still, this would be the first time he would willingly allow anyone to use his dao and sword-spear, and he was not completely sure he could go through with it.

Looking back at Odori, he saw his partner was stood before him, patiently waiting for an answer to her suggestion with an expectant look on her face. He thought on the pros and cons of her idea for ten more seconds, weighing the value of each that could cross his mind, before finally coming to a decision about it. What he had chosen was not an easy one, neither of his choices were, but he believed what he was about to say to her was the best he could make.

"Odori, I-" That was as far as Faen was able to go with his answer to his partner's question, as a voice interrupted him mid-sentence.

"Hey there kiddos."

Annoyed at the intrusion, Faen turned to the speaker, and recognised them to be Coco Adel, the team leader of Team CFVY.

They had met before during a conversation between Teams RWBY, CFVY, and his own, but this would be the first instance that they ever exchanged words with each other. Words more meaningful than a simple and short greeting, that is. He also knew of Coco before then, as Team CFVY had garnered a bit of a reputation as hotshots who stood out from not only their year group, but the entire Academy as well. A reputation they shared with RWBY if he heard correctly.

Prominent student or not, she was still a stranger to him, and Faen greeted her with the same coldness he treated anyone who had yet to earn a warming greeting from him. It was nothing personal, just a force of habit he had no intention of letting go.

"We're not kids," he snapped at her, "is there something that you need?"

"You can lay off the hostility, Elf, I'm not here to cause you some trouble. Mind if I ask why you aren't with the gawkers over there?" As she finished her sentence, the Human pointed a thumb over her shoulder towards the group watching Tora and Yatsuhashi fight.

Looking past her, he saw the fight had entered its most climactic stage, for Tora and Yatsuhashi were going all out in their fight against each other. As impressive as that sight was, Faen did not let it distract him from Coco and his wonderings of why it was the upperclasswoman had come to talk to Faen and Odori. It was unlikely she had come over just to ask the question she posed to the pair, and he remained on-guard for anything.

Cautious though he might be of her, the Elf did not believe she planned to do anything like what Cardin and his goons did to him and others. In fact, one of CFVY's team members had been a victim of their bullying, and the team itself were also fairly good people from what Faen saw during their interactions with RWBY and others. Be that as it may, he kept himself guarded and alert.

"We're here to spar. If we had wanted to watch something, we would have turned a TV on," Faen responded to her earlier question, crossing his arms as he did.

"Yeesh. You really do not have an off switch for that attitude of yours, do you?" Coco remarked, appearing to not take offense to what Faen had said, only appearing to be amused by him and the way he acted. Most people were thrown off by it, but not this Human apparently. "I suppose this is your way of trying to impress the ladies or something? Gotta say, it doesn't really work well if it is, but I'll give you props for trying."

"Uh... um, it is not," Faen muttered, breaking his cold composure in response to the way Coco had dismissed it as though it were nothing to her. Beside him he heard Odori quickly and quietly snicker at how his icy exterior cracked thanks to Coco.

As mentioned before, most people were at least put off by his standoffish exterior, so imagine his surprise at Coco's casual reaction to it. His teachers were among the few not affected by his usually unfriendly demeanour, yet this was wholly unexpected. He quickly put it back up, regardless of how limited of an effect it had on CFVY's leader, for appearance's sake if nothing else.

Taking a moment to assess Coco, the most noteable thing he saw about her was the confidence that exhuded from her. She was not the only person who Faen saw possess this trait; those others being people such as Grey, Yang, Tora, and Sun, that monkey Faunus he and his team met a while back. Theirs was a loud sort of confidence, one where they shouted their presence for even the gods in Heaven to hear. Hers was a cool confidence, a sort that made you sauvely walk through the most hectic rainstorm or battlefield as though you had gone out for a quiet morning stroll.

"Anyway, I just came over to see how you two are doing," Coco then looked Faen in the eyes then said, "and to tell you someone's been spreading some pretty crazy stuff about you. Short, orange hair, has it done in a braid at the back of his head, carries around a axe-cannon for a weapon? That ring a few bells to you?"

Faen was already seething with rage before Coco had finished her last sentence, as he knew damn well who she was talking about. From the moment he saw the Dwarf entering Beacon's courtyard, Faen knew his life here in Beacon would become harder than it already was, but that the creature would go so far as to try and smear his name and honour in mud went beyond anything he had come up with in his own head. Their quarrel back in Vigil had largely been confined to the two of them, and no one else was ever involved unless they so wished them to be.

If there had been any sort of agreement or understanding that existed between the two, that was it. Though it seemed that unspoken agreement between themselves had changed, however, evidenced by Halvard spreading whatever wretched slander he was telling whoever might listen.

Had that been why those students from before had eyed him in the way they had? Because they had listened to the Dwarf and what lies he had devised?

Faen was aware he did not have many friends in the Academy, and what was more frustrating was that Halvard could befriend and sway people more easily than him. Where the Elf appeared serious and distant, Halvard was often genuinely high spirited and charismatic in ways Faen could barely achieve, though, the Dwarf was only like that when he and Faen did not occupy the same room.

Meaning those that knew little to nothing about Faen were more likely to believe whatever the Dwarf said, just as it was back in Vigil. That could just be him being paranoid and lacking faith in his fellow students, but Faen saw few other ways people would respond to what the Dwarf might be spreading. He had experienced this sort of thing before, and though these people in Beacon were different people from those at Vigil, he felt he could be forgiven for having such low expectations and opinions of them. People were, after all, disappointing plenty of the time.

Back to what Halvard could have done, such a transggression against him would be answered in time, if it truly happened. He just needed to think of a way to repay Halvard for this slight later on.

"The Dwarf," Faen heard Odori grumble under her breath. Funnily enough, his partner had come to despise Halvard almost as much as he did, her reason apparently being how he treated Faen. Remembering the sort talk where she revealed that, and the loyalty to him the Kitsune displayed back at their first confrontation with Halvard, Faen sent Odori an appreciative look before continuing to converse with Coco.

"What kind of things has he been spreading about me?" He asked Coco, masking his anger behind a barely controlable fascade of calmness. Who he was putting putting it up for, though, the Elf was not even sure.

"From what I heard, it's mostly stuff from that Martial School you're from. Vigil was it?" He silently nodded to confirm Coco's correct assumption, and listened as she continued to speak. "He said stuff like how you nearly killed another student in a duel, then made some pretty derogatory comments about your race, and then I think he mentioned something about an ancestor of yours. I wasn't listening too hard, so I didn't really catch everything he said."

After hearing what Coco had to say, he took the news very poorly, as one might expect. Faen could hear the pounding of his heart, the world turned into a red haze for an instant, and the terrible fury he felt building up inside threatened to explode out of him. Through sheer force of will, and the knowledge there were other people in the room with him, he contained his anger and let it smoulder. Furious as he might be, it did not completely cloud Faen's ability to reason and think, with the foremost thought on his mind, apart from the various ways he wished to horribly mutilate the Dwarf, being why Halvard was talking about Faen behind his back.

Halvard was not doing this just to spite him, no, the Dwarf could be petty, but he was not so petty that he would stoop so low as this just for the sake of it. He was trying to goad him, to force Faen to issue forth a challenge between the two where the Elf's mind would be clouded by the anger he felt for what Halvard had done. This was not the first time his nemesis had done this to him, having pulled the same thing a few times back in Vigil.

Some people might think he should have gotten used to it, or learnt how to ignore the Dwarf. Some people did not know him, and should personally learn how it felt to be the target of a Dwaven grudge, then tell him how they felt after five or so years.

It was a really good thing he was wearing his mask right now, for his nostrils were flaring and he was grinding his teeth together. Few others could bring out this side of him, and of those who did, Halvard was chief amongst them.

"That thing about you nearly killing another student true?" Coco questioned, breaking Faen out from his personal thoughts and dangerously dark fantasies. He did not indulge in them often, and frankly, Faen was thankful the Human had torn his mind away from them, for he happened to be getting a bit too imaginative with the painful things he might do to Halvard and others who also pushed his buttons. Faen was less thankful for the topic Coco was broaching.

Well, if the entire Academy was going to learn of that particular incident in his life, he may as well throw in his own two cents on the matter.

"Yes, it is true, but I assure you the incident was a complete accident. My Semblance can be very... situational _and_ temperamental, that incident was when I first discovered it," he answered the Human whilst still retaining his fairly calm composure. He originally wanted to slip in a remark about how the first victim of his Semblance had deserved it, but the Elf thought it best to leave that out, for he felt uncertain of how saying that might influence whether Coco believed him or not.

"You sure about that?" Coco now asked him, a sudden intensity in her voice as she laced her left hand on her hip, and used the right to lower her sunglasses. Giving Faen an unobstructed view of her dark brown eyes, which met him as she said that. He was in the middle of thinking up something that might adequately convince the Human, before a sly smirk crossed her face, and relaxed her body as she spoke again. "Heh, I understand, there's no need for you to say anymore on the matter. So long you don't try hurt any of my team or friends with it, we'll be cool. We good?"

"Yes, we're... good," Faen nodded to Coco, hesitating for a moment before responding to her. Once again the people around Faen appeared determined to confound and bewilder him, but there was something else he wanted to know. "Why are you telling me this? We're not really friends or anything."

"True, but, you're friends of friends, and seem like good people. I also thought it best if you learnt of it first from someone with a friendlier face, before you heard it from someone nowhere nearly as spectacular as yours truly." The Human replied to his rather frank words, seeking a cheeky bit of self-praise into it. "Anyway, I got to get going. Stay safe you two. Oh, and here's a little tip for you, Faen, you might want to dial down on the whole 'edgelord' angle that you're trying to pull. If you're doing that to look cool or, god forbid, try and impress some of the ladies, it's not working."

Before much else could be said between the two, Coco turned and walked away from Faen and Odori. Her aim appearing to be to head over where the two other members of CFVY, Fox Alistair and Velvet Scarletina, were sat and watching Yatsuhashi duel with Tora. Not that Fean cared enough to watch her reach her supposed destination, for he had another thing preoccupying him.

At the mention of the word 'edgelord', Faen immediately rose his hand to his face and rubbed his eyelids, having grown completely tired of being described in such a way. Not for the first time did Faen have to tell himself that other people's opinions on his life choices did not matter, and that he was no 'edgelord' as Coco had put it. That and... hold on, had Coco just implied there were people who interpereted his icy and unapproachable demeanour to be an attempt to look attractive? What sort of sick and twisted individuals came up with such an idea?

Barely able to contain his disgust at the notion, Faen gagged and almost heaved up the contents of his stomach out his mouth. Only stopping himself when the liquid had reached the Elf's throat, and forced it back down with much effort. Such was Faen's absolute revulsion.

"So, why do you think she really came to see us?" Odori spoke up, her eyes still tracking Coco as the Human finally reached her teammates. The Kitsune did not appear to notice his small moment of weakness, too distracted with watching Coco from afar to see how Faen's face contort in disgust, which was fine by him.

"No idea," Faen answered her question after recomposing himself. Nice though she might have been, relatively anyways, Faen saw his partner's question to be a valid one, and he tried to think up reasons the Human had for doing what she did other than what she herself had stated. Tried that is, for nothing he came up with seemed to properly fit the image he had crafted about Coco's character. "What are your thoughts?"

"Hell if I know, Faen. What are your plans if what Coco said happens to be true? That the Dwarf is talking about you behind your back?" Odori returned her gaze to him, shaking her head twice at the question he had posed her. The very mention of Halvard and what Coco claimed he was doing overrode almost all other thoughts in his mind, which was probably a big mistake on Odori's part, for remembering it made him pissed off. Very, very pissed off.

"If he had a beard, I'd shear the damn thing off his face and force him eat the damn thing, or turn it into a belt I could wear!" Faen hissed aggressively, speaking more to himself than Odori. "He seeks to force me into a fight with him, and that stunted halfwit will have one, but one fought on _my_ terms. Not his!"

Those words were out of him faster than it took Faen's mind to consider the possible repercussions of saying them aloud, and there were indeed consequences for saying something off-hand. Aside from their lessons, another thing Faen learnt was that tongues liked to waggle in this Academy, and did so often considering the amount of rumours and gossip that spread throughout Beacon. A single mispoken word or a sentence spoken in haste could take a single day to become known by the rest of the student body, with not even a fraction of that time needed for people to form opinions and thoughts based on those rumours. Faen felt little need for concern, however, for who could possibly know that he was referring to Halvard just then?

Unconcerned though he might be, the Elf took a moment to scan the room for anyone from Team HONE, the Atlesian team lead by Halvard. Anyone who might look a tad shifty, or eyed him somewhat strangely, was also something Faen kept an eye out for. Fortunately, he could see no one from HONE, or someone fit the previously mentioned traits, which meant he was free to do whatever he wished for now.

Whether he would have shaved the beard off Halvard, if had one in the first place, and turned it into a belt for him to wear was neither here nor there. But that thing Faen said about fighting Halvard on his own terms was definitely a goal the young Elf made for himself. Swearing on his honour, he would see it done.

Taking a few seconds to cool down, Faen tried to remember what it was that he and his partner had been doing prior to their quick chat with Coco. It only took Faen a brief moment to recall what they had been doing, that being him answering Odori's proposal to train with each other's weapons. An additional second was spent by the Elf attempting to remember precisely what he wished to say earlier, but the previous conversation had forced it from his mind. Oh well, he still knew his answer, Faen simply needed to use different words to express it to Odori.

Hopefully, he would not be interrupted this time around.

"Back to what I was saying-" As Faen barely just began his sentence, he was bowled over as something hard and heavy came crashing into him from out of nowhere. One second he was facing his partner, the next Faen found himself splayed on the floor after the world had turned into an incomprehensible blur.

"Oh my gods. Faen!" Odori cried as she came into few, and started to fuss over him to check if he was hurt. It was pointless of her to check for any injuries, for his Aura had guarded him, but he was undoubtably confused by what hit him and pissed off that it had. From his position on the floor, the Elf could hear the barely hushed words of onlookers as they spoke of what they had seen, and plenty drew his ire for they expressed amusement at his misfortune.

"That's it. I legitimately hate my life right now," Faen stated to no one in particular, though, Odori happened to be facing him right now so he may as well have been speaking to her.

A loud grunt was heard nearby, and the sound of heavy feet followed soon after as a very large figure past the edge of Faen's vision. From his current state on the floor, he could not see many details, but what he saw included wild orange hair, muscled arms, and tiger-print sash. The was only one person Faen personally knew to have these traits in Beacon, Tora Yamazaki.

It had been Tora who had knocked him over? Well, that explained why he felt as though a mountain had crashed into him, and it had mostly likely been his Human opponent who had sent him flying into him. An impressive enough feat, but Faen would have been far more impressed if Yatsuhashi had sent Tora flying into someone other than Faen. It would have been very nice, and saved him a great deal of personal embarrassment, yet it had happened either way.

"Sorry there Faen," Tora's voice reached Faen's ears as he moved out of his immediate field of view, and changed his pace from quick jog into a thunderous sprint. Yes, that more or less confirmed it for him, Tora had indeed been the person who was crashed into him a moment ago.

Sitting up, the Elf rubbed the back of his head and looked to where Tora had run off to, looking just in time to see the Oni launch himself into the air and swing his kanabo down at Yatsuhashi's head with a thunderous yell. The attack was parried by the large Human, and the two continued on with their spar.

"Ugh. I swear by Khaine's bloody hand, that I shall challenge the next person who dares interrupt me to a duel." Faen growled as he was helped up by his partner, his teeth bared and clenched out of frustration. Now wanting to get what he had to say to Odori done and out of the way, he faced her once he was back on his feet, and tried to speak. "I-"

"Good afternoon Faen."

He bristled at the voice that spoke to him, and took a deep breath as he attempted to calm down from being interrupted for the third time, more so since he knew who it was that had spoken just now. Feeling Fate really had it in for him as of late, Faen slowly turned around to face this new interrupter.

Standing before him, clad in her combat outfit with her own facemask covering half her face, was Yasmin, his latest unofficial teammate and equal in a sparring match. Just from a cursory glance at her, Faen could see she was fresh from the road, for dried dirt caked her boots and there were even traces of it on her clothes and hair. Also, now that he could properly smell her, found her scent to be mixed with that of dirt and days-old sweat. Little wonder, then, that he did not sense her approach, for her natural scent was covered up by the aforementoined smells.

Where he might have asked what the Half-Elf might have gotten up to had he been in a better mood, Faen was nowhere near anything resembling that, and he just wanted no bushit to come from her right now.

"You have got to be kidding me," he grumbled, not caring that the newest source of his mounting frustration was right in front of him. "Yasmin, you're back."

"Indeed I am, and I could not help but overhear you invoke our war god's name as you swore to fight whosoever interrupted you next," Yasmin responded. Uncaring of how he expressed his disdain for her presence, and seemingly focused on the thing he said earlier. "Do you have any intention of following through with that oath?"

Faen's eye twitched after hearing what the Half-Elf before had just said. It was bad enough she was here, yet she had to make an already difficult situation worse by intentionally butting in for the express purpose of duelling him again.

Well, he had bloody sworn on the War God he would do it, so Faen had no way of backing out.

"You... Fine, we will duel each other, again. First just let me finish this conversation with my partner, alright?" Not waiting for an answer from Yasmin, the Elf turned away from her, and returned his focus to his partner. She had also been looking at Yasmin, her gaze even more unkindly than his own, and appeared just as impatient to receive the answer to her question as he was to give it to the Kitsune. "Odori, having thought about what you said, I-"

"Uh, hey there, you haven't seen a magazine of gravity Dust anywhere, have you?" Another damned voice interrupted him just as he had begun speaking for a third time. It belonged to a fellow Beacon student, but, at this point Faen did not care who the person that had interrupted him was. "I lost it, and I want it back before things start to get a bit... floaty."

Done, just absolutely done with all the crap that had been happening to him, Faen did the one sensible thing he believed that he could do in this situation right now. Not caring for who saw him, he let out the loudest, most furious yell that had ever escaped from his mouth and punched the ground beneath him with as much force as he could summon. Causing a loud bang to erupt as his fist impacted on the hard floor, and even leaving a slight dent in it.

If all this was any indication of how the coming months leading up to the Vytal Festival would be like, they looked to be the worse months the Elf would experience in his life.

* * *

Elsewhere in Beacon, Grey and Friesian were in the Academy's garage. The former watching as the latter messed around with the motor of motorbike while smooth jazz was coming from his nearby Scroll, which was the Dullahan's way of relaxing and recovering from stuff such as that fight with the Halfling. Most people relaxed by eating snacks, reading a book, or taking long naps, but not Friesian it seemed.

To each their own, she guessed, to each their own.

Friesian's motorbike was a standard bike, one that could be seen being used by civilians on the streets, but had been modified by the Dullahan to make it his own and, as a result, fairly different from the standard models. Among them was a personally applied black and orange paintjob on its aluminium plates, a small windscreen, a holster next to the seat where he could keep Tenebrous Mantle, and a fuel tank larger than the original. The most important modification Friesian had made was to the engine, which, in Friesian's own words, had been tinkered with to be even more powerful so it could achieve speeds above that of the usual model.

The guy was even bold enough to boast his bike could match the speed of some sports motorbikes, right in front of Yang, who just happened to have that type of motorbike in the motor pool. Sure enough, the two got into a debate on whose was the faster, and made a promise to race one of these days to find out.

Grey was pretty indifferent to it all, for she was no mechanic and had no idea what Friesian and Yang were talking about during their debate, but watching a race between the two might fun.

Still, how exactly Friesian was able to see while riding the thing was as mysterious to Grey as how Friesian's body could possibly catch a jar of peanut butter thrown at him, while his head was not even facing it. That example was not some kind of exaggeration, for it had actually happened three dsys ago. He still kept his head at his hip whenever he rode the motorbike, and that did not provide the best view of incoming traffic, but he seemed fine enough. Another mystery of the Demi-Humans, she supposed.

As if there was not already a whole lot of those out there.

Putting those thoughts aside, Grey continued to gorge on the plate of chicken wings she had snuck from the cafeteria kitchens before coming to the garage. The cafeteria would be serving dinner for the students in forty-eight minutes, but Grey did not care. She was hungry, and she would eat whenever she pleased.

Besides satiating her ever-present hunger, the Werewolf engaged in conversation with Friesian while he worked on his motorbike. Unlike their team leader, silence was not a highly sought after companion, and they would much rather fill whatever moments of stillness with talk or some sort of noise at least. Such occassions like this gave them good opportunities to connect and learn more about each others, which was what their current conversation allowed them to do right now.

"Could you believe it, Grey? Me? Wanting to try and be an airship pilot?" Friesian's head chuckled from its spot on a short stool. Beside it was a set of tools that he was using to modify or replace various parts of his vehicle.

"You really wanted to fly around in those tin birds?" Grey remarked as she finished tearing the last bit of meat from a wing and threw the bare bones onto her plate. The two had been relaying to one another some of their earliest aspirations in life for the last ten or so minutes, with Grey revealing how she had previously dreamed to be a mountaineer back when she was eight. "You do know being an airship pilot is a pretty dangerous job, right?"

"Well, I didn't know the full dangers of it back then, but you gotta think about the benefits here Grey. You get to travel and see the world, the sights you see from an airship cockpit can be pretty amazing, the pay isn't bad if you get hired out to do some stuff, and then there's the bragging rights." A gleam passed through the Dullahan's eyes as he pleasantly listed off those 'benefits'. "I mean, if I were a pilot and was able to pull off some sick stunts to get away from _three_ adult Nevermores, you'd hear me talk about it for years and years."

"Now that I can totally believe about you," the Werewolf laughed as she imagined her partner reciting that hypothetical story he had come up with to almost anyone he met. From relations, girls he might hit on, employers, and even random people he would encounter at the street. The guy liked to rave on and on about his motorbike, so doing something like that was not out of character for him, as far as Grey was concerned at least.

Friesian still wished to learn how to fly an airship, that much she could tell from the way he talked about this dream of his, unlike her, who had given up on that childhood wish of hers to be a mountaineer. Not that Grey saw anything wrong with it, for, as opposed to her old wish, his had some really practical applications for his later life as a Huntsman. If Friesian actually owned an airship and knew how to fly it, he could help settlements a considerable distance from Vale in no time without queuing for the next available transport that could take him there. Heck, if Friesian got one that had a pretty spacious interior he could take entire teams of Huntsmen or much needed supplies to various isolated locations as well.

Prices for the fuel and general maintenance for an airship would be a bitch though, which probably explained why a vast majority of Huntsmen did not own one.

Would still be cool, and Grey could not help but think of other ways it could be used aside from those related to Huntsman work. For example, apart from transporting them to settlements in need, Friesian could take all of FFOG to some of the best vacation spots without having to pay the travel fees of those commercial airlines. Granted, these were rather selfish thoughts, but everyone could be selfish from time to time, could they not?

"Any who, what else would you be if you got the chance to become something else? You already said mountaineer, but, do you have some other job that would have been great to be alongside or completely replace being a Huntress?" The Dullahan now asked her, stopping his work and taking a seat on the stool his head had rested on after thoroughly wiping his hands clean with a rag. Said head currently occupied a place on his lap now.

Now that was a certainly tricky one, for Grey had set her mind to becoming a Huntress for a while, and she had not exactly spared too much thought on that particular idea. To be something other than what she sought now was hard for her to conceive, yet, that did not mean the Werewolf could not try. So, Grey took a moment to ponder and consider this barely explored train of thoughts, which did not take that long to come up with.

"If I could be something else, I would be a... hunter. Yeah, that's what I would be." This answer of Grey's had taken form after the Werewolf considered an old story her paternal grandfather told her of his youth, that he had been a hunter in the wilds of Avalon, and how he hoped she might be one when she grew up. By a hunter, she did not mean the sort who hunts purely for sport or trophies, but the kind that tracked animals to feed others when there was no other choice, to pursue creatures that attacked people, and occasionally aid Huntsmen in their work as guides or fellow fighters. That was the kind of hunter Grey's grandfather had been, and those she admired.

She never entertained the prospect before, but remembering that old tale sparked her imagination, and taking up her grandfather's old profession did not sound that bad when Grey thought about it. Still, she wanted to be a Huntress, and a Huntress was what Grey would be. No matter the trails, that would be the path she followed.

"A hunter? I guess that would make sense, and I think you would be a good one! You know because," Friesian placed both his hands atop his head and used them to mimick her wolf ears, following it up by tapping the tip of his nose. It took Grey a second to figure out what he was implying, that being the enhanced sense of hearing and smell she possessed, which would be very beneficial in a career as a hunter.

Why he could not have simply said it, she did not understand, but Grey guessed it was just one of those moments of oddness that her partner would sometimes display. Friesian was not bananas, she just thought he was a tiny bit peculiar was all.

After that, the two spent the time immersed in conversation, sharing more of their past dreams and exchanging humorous banter with each other. It went on like this for what may have been four minutes by Grey's own guess, when they heard one of the doors to the garage open. When the Demi-Humans looked over to who it was, they saw a familiar pair; Yang Xiao Long and Neptune Vasilias.

Strangely enough, while Neptune was walking around in his combat outfit, Yang was wearing something completely different from the normal attire Grey had seen her wear for the majority of the time she knew the Human. The Werewolf was not saying it was anything bad to look at, it was actually pretty cool looking, she just found it peculiar that Yang was wearing it as opposed to the outfit Grey had gotten used to seeing her in. Was she wearing it for some special occasion?

The two were also carrying their weapons, which, to be fairly honest, was not that big of a deal considering how the Kingdoms permitted Huntsmen and Huntsmen-in-Training to carry their weapons around wherever they went. But really, why would the two need them? They were not planning to start up some trouble somewhere, were they?

Well, just staring at Yang was not going to get her any answers. The best way to do that was to shove her nose into their business and ask Yang herself.

"Hey there! Where are you two going, and what's with the new get-up, Yang? It's pretty cool by the way," Grey called over to the pair as they were walking over to Yang's own motorbike, a yellow thing the Human affectionately called 'Bumblebee'. After calling out to them, it seemed to be only now that the Humans noticed she and Friesian were in the motor pool, and were quick to wave back to them as they approached.

"Huh? Oh, hi there Grey, nice to see you guys. You too, Friesian," Yang responded to Grey's greeting. Beside her, Neptune replied with a quick 'Sup?' and did a finger-gun gesture pointed at both Demi-Humans. "I'm just taking Neptune here out to see the sights, sounds, and smells of Vale's nightlife. Maybe we'll hit a few clubs while we're there, too."

Hearing what Yang had said, she sort of understood why the two had their weapons, because Vale had apparently become a bit more dangerous at night and those nightclubs could be attended or run by pretty shady individuals. Thing is, Grey remembered Team SSSN had already spent a good chunk of the evening at Vale once before. She overheard them talk about the experience a couple days ago, having gone out to the city for almost an entire day to compare it to Mistral.

So, it was sort of, but not significantly, odd that Neptune wanted to check it out again on his own. Still a bit odd since she felt the Human was not much of a 'nightlife' kind of guy, but she could be wrong in her assumptions. They had, after all, only known each other for a relatively short amount of time.

Aside from that, there was one glaring issue with Yang's plan to go to Vale's nightclubs.

"Right, but... aren't you banned from, like, _half_ the nightclubs in Vale?" Friesian commented after exchanging a friendly fist-bump with Neptune, beating Grey to the punch. That certainly did not go over well with Yang, as her face twisted into a look of utter indignation, while Neptune's eyes almost popped out of their sockets in shock.

"Uh, pardon me?" The blue-haired Human asked, yet, was immediately cut off by Yang before he could inquiry any further.

"Correction, I'm banned from a third of all nightclubs in Vale, absolutely unjustly might I add." Yang stated, huffing a bit when she said that last part, as though the proclamation would make things better. Grey and Friesian exchanged a look with each other, the former recalling a few tasty pieces of information that ran counter to the Human's claim of being banned 'unjustly'.

Yang had, in fact, been banned from those nightclubs for pretty justifiable reasons; such as causing major property damage, highly disruptive behaviour, underaged drinking, and assualting the staff and other nightclub goers. Ruby had been kind enough to spill these juicy little details some time ago, much to Yang's distress. Between every ounce of information Ruby dislosed to them all, and the numerous attempts her older sister made to get Ruby to stop, the conversation where all that had was revealed had been very entertaining.

In spite of all her efforts, Yang failed to prevent her younger sister from describing a couple interesting incidents to Team FFOG, which resulted in a fair amount of laughs and stunned silences over the course of their retelling.

"You're banned from a third of Vale's nightclubs? How do you do that?" Neptune queried Yang on the subject, totally flabberghasted for the first time since Grey had met the Human. "One, I would understand. But a third of an entire city is-"

"Um, I think you and I should stop with all the talking, and actually get out to what we were meant to do! We're on a bit of a timetable here." Yang suddenly and firmly grabbed Neptune by his right bicep, and began to pull him away from the two Demi-Humans, taking him over to Bumblebee. No doubt to get out of a discussion that was becoming increasingly uncomfortable for her, or for perhaps another reason entirely.

It might just be her, but Grey could swear she heard a serious urgency in Yang's voice as she took Neptune. As though she were reminding her current companion that they had something very important to attend to, something more vital than just having fun in some Vale nightclub as Yang claimed they would. Might be she was looking into things too much; years interacting with a taciturn Elf kind of forced her to always look for meaning in everything her best friend did, and could explain why the Werewolf did it to others. Whatever the case, Grey was still trying to figure what the two Humans were up to by the time they reached Bumblebee.

"Sure, sure, we won't keep you here any longer. You two have fun," Friesian waved to the pair as they climbed onto Bumblebee, and started up the sports bike's engine. He could have just left it with that, but, he decided to sneak in a little jab at his fellow motorcyclist. "My bike's still cooler _and_ faster!"

"No it's not!" Yang called back to Friesian as she sped out of the motorpool, her long hair flapping behind her, with Neptune sat behind Yang and holding onto her waist for dear life. Within the passing of a few seconds, the two were gone.

Grey kept her eyes fixed on the motorpool's exit, the last echoes of Bumblebee's loud engine reverberating through large vehicle filled room, and could be heard further outside thanks to the extra pair of ears atop her head. That feeling of something not being right, and that Yang and Neptune were up to something contrary to their claims, still clung to her as tightly as a bear's jaws clamp onto a salmon fish. She really did hope Yang and Grey were going to be fine and stayed safe in whatever errand they sought to complete, or trouble they planned to cause.

Slowly, she pulled her attention away from the motorpool's exit, before looking over to what Friesian was doing. The Dullahan had gotten back to tampering with his motorbike again, and had resumed the conversation they were having before the Humans' arrival. It being a retelling of an incident when Friesian was maybe five or six, where he almost started a fire in his parents' house while playing with a roll of toilet paper and a lit candle.

Guessing that she could put the thoughts of Yang and Neptune aside for now, the Werewolf listened attentively to Friesian as he retold his story. That was not all she did, for there was still the plate of chicken wings she had been eating, and seeing there were only five left, the Werewolf had no intention of letting them remain uneaten for a second longer. Without any hesitation, Grey grabbed one and thoroughly stripped it clean, followed by another, then another after that. In short order she finished them all, yet, the Werewolf still hungered for more despite having devoured all the meat from fifteen wings in total.

It did not matter, for she could just grab some more food at dinner, which happened to be in the next forty-two minute from now. Speaking of dinner, Grey hoped Faen and Akagi would be there when she and the Dullahan left for the cafeteria. The Elf needed to put more meat on those bones of his, after all, and she wanted to be there for him in case any trouble arose.

She was sure her best friend was fine right now, and that she need not worry about him for the time being.

* * *

Later, as the afternoon sun was dipping further towards the western horizon, Faen grunted as he started to remove his armour piece by piece. The aches all over his body causing the process to be slower and clumsier than usual. He had retreated into FFOG's dorm after finishing his business at the sparring room, opting to isolate himself from the all others and even skip dinner by doing so.

After his little outburst of rage in the sparring room, the Elf duelled with Yasmin, and did a bit of quick, light sparring with Odori soon after they were done. As had been the case with all of their prior duels, Faen and Yasmin had held nothing back and fought relentlessly to outdo the other. During their fight, he had been barely aware of how the others in the room turned their attention to him and Yasmin, silently watching as FFOG's team leader and their mysterious new addition went at each other like a pair of hounds fighting over the last bone.

Nothing else mattered then but the duel with Yasmin, and claiming victory from it. Despite his efforts, however, he was actually defeated by Yasmin, the first instance of such in fact.

Now, it was most definitely not because she was better than him, there was no way Faen was going to admit that. As far as he was concerned, the reason for his defeat was due to his inability to properly focus on the spar; the earlier words exchanged with Coco, and the anger towards all the other things that happened had lingered in his mind and disrupted his concentration. Those factors also made him reckless, making Faen take unnecessary risks he would never have made otherwise, and was a prime contributor to his defear.

Yes, that had to be why he lost. There was no doubt about it.

It was as he finally removed the last piece of his armour, that being his left shoulder guard, did his ears pick up a gentle tapping coming from the door. He had heard the approach of whoever was now tapping on the door, and had hoped they would leave him to his solitude, but alas, it seemed that would not be the case.

Odori had left a minute ago to grab some food from the cafeteria for him, as he would much rather remain within the confines of his dorm right now. The others, Grey and Friesian, had messaged they would meet with Odori and come right over. The cafeteria was a good five minutes walk, if you hurried, so it was improbable that the person knocking on his door was one of his team members. As such, he felt no desire to answer it, and continued to change out of his combat outfit. If they happened to be someone from Team RWBY, JNPR, AMRT, or someone else entirely, they should just message him on his Scroll if what they wanted to say or do was in any way vaguely important.

The tapping on the door carried on for a good twenty more seconds, with Faen continuing to simply ignore it, then stopped completely after the twentieth second passed. Faen dared to hope the person was going to leave, but immediately snapped to attention when he heard the lock click and the door begin to swing open. Hastily throwing his just removed coat onto his bed and spinning to face the doorway, the Elf let out a low, irritated growl upon seeing who was stood outside his dorm.

"Hello again, Faen," Yasmin greeted him as she took her Scroll away from the electronic lock and stashed it away into one of the pockets of her pockets. He kept forgetting she had access to his dorm, afforded to the hybrid because of her unofficial status as a member of FFOG, which did not at all improve his opinion of her and the arrangement made with Ozpin.

Faen had no wish to see anyone other than his teammates as of right now, and the Elf-Dracon hybrid was high on his list of people the Elf would prefer to stay away from for a while. That had been his desire, and yet he had probably been better off wishing he could hold all the stars in his hand than hope for that.

Well, if he could endure Grey's shenanigans for several years, as well as Halvard just existing on the same world as him, he should be able to tolerate Yasmin's presence for at least a few minutes. An hour, though, oh hells no. If Yasmin so much as stayed in his dorm for any duration of time near that, Faen would bodily throw the Half-Elf out of his dorm through its sole window, and he would not at all bother with opening it first. A tad bit excess, Faen could admit, but that was just how badly he wanted to be left alone.

Somewhat prepared to withstand Yasmin and whatever she had in mind, whilst also ready to throw her out the window without so much as a second thought, Faen relaxed himself and addressed the Elf-Dracon.

"Yasmin," Faen huffed, making no effort to hide his distaste. As with many things, Yasmin ignored his obvious spite and gracefully glided into his dorm as though it were a Kingdom and she was its firstborn master. If the purpose for her coming here happened to be for the sole purpose of pissing him off, well, she had accomplished it.

"You fought well, considering your state at the time," Yasmin uttered, her words causing Faen to feel an urge to gouge out both her eyes rise up in the back of his mind. Tempted as he was to do just that, the Elf figured he would get into a whole lot of trouble for it, so he surpressed his sudden urges for now and let her speak. "They say rage provides one a different kind of focus in and out of battle, and seeing you fight has convinced me there is a level of truth to it. Not enough that is, not enough."

"Have you come here to gloat? Yasmin, I am in no mood to tolerate _anything_ from you or anyone else right now, so unless you have something extremely important to tell me, I _kindly_ request that you leave me be." He kept his voice as calm as he could possibly manage, but, conversing with a person one tends to feel less than amicable feelings towards meant Faen was internally grappling with himself just to maintain this fascade. He also took a step forward, putting Yasmin within arm's length so he may carry out his aforementioned plan of 'throw her out the window' whenever the use of it was warranted.

Right now, Yasmin did not appear to suspect what he secretly planned to do, but there was no telling with her sometimes. She might already have guessed his intentions for if she pushed him too far, and came up with a way to counter any effort he made to go through with it.

"Noted," the Elf-Dracon continued, "you could have still beaten me _if_ you had kept better control of yourself, and I might have something that could help with just that. That is, if you are willing to listen to me."

So, was that the primary reason for her coming her? To offer him, her rival in the sparring ring, something that could improve his self-control in not just battle, but his daily life also? It sounded far too good and favourable of a deal to be true, and on the off-chance Yasmin's offer happened to be genuine, he believed there was no way she wished to grant him this boon solely for altruistic reasons or something in that ballpark.

Alongside doubts regarding Yasmin's true intentions, Faen felt hesitant of te efficacy of what Yasmin could possibly offer to him, if she truly had anything. Not matter, whether her offer happened to be authentic or fraudulent, he would hear her out and judge the worth of the Elf-Dracon's suggestion. For her sake, she had better not be pulling his leg.

"What is it?" Faen sighed, crossing his arms and speaking through clenched teeth.

"Do you perform meditation? I assume you at least know of it, if you do not practise it yourself," Yasmin casually asked him, once again ignoring the signs of his annoyance with her.

"I do know of meditation, but I see little need in actually performing it," he replied to his unofficial teammate. Now knowing it was meditation Yasmin was offering to him, he was ready to wave it off and escort her out of the dorm, for he had very little interest in actually practising that age old ritual. That was his plan, and very much like most plans of his recently, actually going through with it was interrupted.

At this point, Faen figured he should just give up on trying to do _anything_. Him getting interrupted or his wishes not panning out as he wanted them to, seeming to be how Fate determined his ventures would wind up until it decided otherwise.

"Then there is the secret to your failings," Yasmin swiftly said to him. Causing Faen's eyes to narrow, his nostrils flared, and his arms twitched as the urge to grab Yasmin by her arms and chuck her out the window for that snide statement she made. Despite the burning desire to carry out his plan, Faen restrained himself, and carried on listening to her. "Meditation is not just a means to kill time and calm one's mind, Faen, it is also capable of giving us focus in situations beyond battle. Having seen and heard what has been happening here as of late, I believe you certainly have need of it. And, seeing as how I am the only person who can teach you to meditate in our Elven way, I shall have to show you how it is done. Do you accept

Having apparently said her piece, Yasmin stepped away from him a couple of paces, and closely watched Faen as he tried to come up with a definite answer to her suggestion.

It need not be said again, but Faen's opinion of meditation was already decided and very clear in his mind. He had seen his parents perform it every morning when they had the chance to, and while they never forced him, they strongly encouraged their son to do so as well. According to several books and other older individuals with knowledge of his people, youths such as Faen were known to refuse practising meditation, often viewed as part of a rebellious phase typical of Elves his age. Now, Faen did not believe he was in the middle of any sort of phase, but whether or not he was did not matter, and he had to really consider what Yasmin had said.

Again, his mind travelled back to his parents, and how meditation affected and ultimately benefitted them both. His father was a reserved Elf, having apparently passed that trait down to Faen, and worked as a Guardsman of the Selene Town Guard, making the analysis of him much more relavent. It could not be said that the young Elf's father was a great fighter, he was good enough to teach Faen how to wield a sword and spear when he began to walk this path, but he was no extraordinary warrior.

In relation to how meditation potentially benefitted him, well, now that Faen thought on it, his father was calmer and better could keep up with him during their training spars after he meditated for a good five to seven minutes. By the heavens, Faen remembered how annoyed he got when his father spent the previously mentioned amount of time sitting and staring out the window before they began to train. He got used to his father's habit as time wore on, though he felt a need to whine childishly back when they began, which would have been embarrassing if he did.

Moving on, Faen's mother was of a different sort to Faen and his father. While pretty uncommunicative like Faen and the other Elves of Selene, his mother was by far more approachable and more willing to interact with others compared to them. She did know how to use a knife in a fight, and the hand-crossbow his mother kept in a wooden box under her bed had seen use, yet, she was no combatant like Faen. How exactly meditation was useful to her was harder to figure out than his father, for what situations did she, a quiet librarian, need it for? It was not as though she was regularly getting into duels of honour, needed to beat down criminals, or anything of the sort.

All in all, when it came to his mother, Faen supposed she did it out of tradition than any practical need. Goodness knows they did plenty of that back home. There were some potential benefits, if the example of his father was anything to go by, but it was nothing concrete enough to get Faen to fully immerse himself in the practise.

In spite of all that, perhaps he should heed Yasmin's offer and give into his parents' encouragement. With the Vytal Festival fast approaching, and the try-outs to compete in the tournament some time later this semester, anything that could give him an edge would be greatly beneficial. Nothing like performance enhancing drugs or anything of that sort, Faen would sooner be caught dead than to resort to so despicable a resource.

Meditation might just be what he needed to acquire that 'edge', though he still doubted its usefulness in and out of battle. Still, if there was even a chance it gave some relief from his ever mounting stress, and offered him an additional advantage in battle, he may as well see what happened if he tried it. If it did not pan out well, or amounted to nothing, at least he could inform his parents that he tried, and hopefully it would be enough to make them stop badgering him with the subject.

Focusing his mind away from his internal thoughts and back to Yasmin, Faen saw she remained right in front of him, her eyes fixed on him and waiting for an answer. She need not wait or worry any longer, for the words he had chosen to say to her would probably be alike to music to Yasmin's ears.

Meeting each others gaze, Faen's answer was thus.

"Fine then, show me."

* * *

 **There we have it, chapter done.**

 **As I mentioned before, my PC troubles will make writing harder, but I will continue with this fanfic regardless of it. In the event I finally do sort it out, I shall let you all know in an Author's Note. S** **tay safe and wash your hands.**

 **I'll see you all when I next see you.**


	18. A Green Gem, Oaths, and Truths

**Author's Note:**

 **This took a while to get done. I could go ahead and make some excuses to justify it, as I have done before, but what would be the point?**

 **There is not much for me to say here, apart for a couple things. First, my PC is okay, for now, so I was able to write plenty of this chapter on my computer. Second, at the very end of this chapter is my first attempt at an omake. Please tell me what you think, and if I should do more for later chapters.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and that you all remain safe in these trying times we are in.**

* * *

 **A Green Gem, Oaths, and Truths**

"Then Ren and I sailed away into the sunset, the body of the giant serpent being towed behind us."

Nora, the N of Team JNPR, stood on her chair, waiting for the others' reaction to the triumphant end of her latest tale. Friesian, and plenty of the others who were listening, obliged her, and slowly began to clap their hands in applause. It had been _another_ recurring dream that she had been having recently, which she always seemed to recall with vivid detail.

This dream had been of Nora's had her and Ren go fishing on a rowboat one day, and got into a fight with a titanic sea serpent-like Grimm after Nora caught it with her fishing rod.

She really was an odd Human, but that made her fun to be around in the Dullahan's opinion. Goodness knows what Beacon would be like if she were a 'normal' person. Granted, things would probably be much calmer and quieter, but where would the fun be if Nora was like that? No, the Human was just fine the she was right now.

FFOG, JNPR, and RWBY were sat together in a partly secluded part of the Academy's library, so they could speak without being told off too often. Not that a great many people seemed to care. Or so he thought.

"You all know we are in a library, right?" FFOG's team leader spoke up in a hushed voice, taking his face out of the textbook he had been reading to say that.

"And that we are supposed to be studying for that test Professor Peach set us?" Weiss was also quick to add to Faen's words. The heiress having just been mesmerizing every last note she had taken on two notebooks for the third time since they sat down together.

"We're multi-tasking! While we study, we are also socialising and enjoying each others company. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" Yang reasoned to the pair, though it did little to convince them. For Faen and Weiss responded by simultaneously rolling their eyes and immersing themselves back into what they had been doing. The former in his textbook, and the latter in her two notebooks.

It was almost funny to see them do that, but Friesian made sure to keep those thoughts to himself.

Joking and all that aside, they really did need to studying for that test. Sure Professor Peach was not in the Academy often, having to leave another professor in charge of many of her classes for a myriad of reasons, she could be a real taskmaster when she was in. A nice lady, though, and one of Friesian's favourite teachers.

So, figuring that he should at least go over a few points the professor told them would be vital for the test, Friesian started reading a few paragraphs in the textbook before him. It was next week, the test, so they all had a good amount of time to revise for it.

While he did that, Friesian continued to partake in the conversation being held by most members of RWBY, JNPR, and FFOG. The only ones not contributing much were not only Faen and Weiss, but also Ren and Blake. The first three because they were more interested in their studies than chatting away with the others, while the fourth was brooding over something none but herself could know.

Funny, it was normally Faen who brooded around here. Was she trying to step on his territory?

While his thoughts were currently on her, Friesian reflected on his relationship with Blake, and the complex state that it currently was in. Her being White Fang had really shaken up his opinion of her. At first he thought her to be a hot girl with a cute bow and some anti-social leanings, now all he saw was a former White Fang. Nothing could shift this new opinion of his, not even Blake when she explained herself to him.

The Dullahan still wanted to be friends with the Faunus, he really did, but he kept being reminded of her past allegiance. The thought of her possibly being complicit in some of the White Fang's most violent actions was nearly to much for Friesian to handle, despite Blake's assurances that she had not participated in those sorts of actions. Blake also insisted that she regretted the violent path the White Fang had fallen into, and sorely wished for the organisation to return to peaceful protest than violence. So long as that claim was truthful, then it alleviated Friesian's misgivings somewhat, but not completely.

In the end, the two agreed to give each other some space so to better work out this whole dilemma. Kind of hard to do considering their teams spent plenty of time together, so not talking to each other would suffice for now. Whether it would resolve this issue of theirs could only be guessed at, with Friesian at least hoping they came out of this affair better than they entered.

As they continued to converse with each other, speaking of the new responsibility and honour placed on Team RWBY to organise the upcoming Beacon Dance, Friesian became aware of a few voices whispering to themselves a short distance behind him. He was not the only one, nor was he the first, for his other teammates in FFOG and Blake perked up and looked past Friesian's body. Curious of who they saw, the Dullahan's body turned his head, allowing him to see a team of four Human girls whispering and casting the group glancing looks. Team NDGO he believed their team name to be.

Yes, he remembered now, that was who they were. For unlike the rest of his team, Friesian had read in detail the lists of exchange students and the teams they belonged to. Not for any special reason, he was just bored at one point and saw the list.

Friesian could not remember all the teams in detail; the Dullahan just remembered a few because they looked interesting enough. NDGO was among them because, well, he was a young man. A more detailed explanation was unnecessary.

The four girls did not stick around for too long, which was a real shame, as something they saw in the group's general direction seemed to have given them cause to move on. Rather hurriedly as a matter of fact. Now, while they could have for any reason imaginable, why did he feel as though it was because of him? Was it because he had something on his face?

Taking out his Scroll and using its camera function, the Dullahan checked for anything that might be wrong. After maybe a quarter of a minute of checking, Friesian was left confused by why he still felt as though NDGO's departure had somehow been because of him, despite nothing being visibly awry. There were no oil stains mucking up his face. His hair was great as it always had been. Nor had any of his friends written on his face with a marker pen like they had done last Tuesday.

Nothing was wrong as far as Friesian could tell. Yet, why did the feeling that he was the cause still linger?

"I see you gals are still the talk of the town, or the Academy to be more accurate." He heard Grey remark, causing Friesian to remove himself from his troubled thoughts, and see what was going on now.

"It was nothing, really." Ruby replied, her eyes looking down at the table while she nervously fidgeted on her chair. Oh yes, now Friesian understood what Grey, and possibly Team NDGO, had been talking about.

"'Nothing'? Ruby, the four of you disrupted a White Fang gathering and got into a fight with Roman Torchwick on the same night. You even made it into the news. There is no way that is just 'nothing,'" Jaune somewhat excitedly exclaimed to Ruby. His words seemed to only embarrass Ruby further, and made her sink lower on her seat.

It was true, RWBY had found themselves the centre of attention once again, Ruby in particular, because this would the third run-in she had with Torchwick. That night, the same one when he and Grey met Yang and Neptune in the garage, RWBY had somehow broken into a meeting of those terrorists. Also, when they fought against Torchwick, they apparently did so while he was in a powerful mech-suit.

Details on what kind of mech he piloted was being strangely hushed up by officials, but if the rumours were true, it was none other than one of the new Paladin-290 suits the Atlesians revealed recently. Just how Torchwick of all people could have got his hands on such a machine was anyone's guess. The Atlesian were not saying anything on the matter, and what they did say was a complete denial of the mech actually being of the new Paladin models. Claiming it to be an independently constructed mech-suit made by elements of the criminal underground, or some other drivel.

RWBY had told FFOG and JNPR that it had most definitely been an Atlesian Paladin they fought. Ruby attesting to the claim for she had personally been at the official unveiling down at Vale. The probable reason why the Atlesians were denying the truth was because they did not want to admit their precious machines could be stolen from them by people like that criminal. Admittedly, it was a pretty scary thought.

Who knows what Torchwick could have been planning with that machine?

"For first-years, you lot get into a lot of trouble and earn plenty of fame and attention when you come out of it." Akagi remarked whilst playing with a strand of her hair, some truth existing in the words she directed towards RWBY. His Kitsune teammate looked to the others for confirmation, and she was not wanting for people who shared that opinion.

Plenty of stuff overwhelmed Friesian a little since arriving at Beacon, such as the strangeness of his friends to how bloody fantastic the view from Beacon Cliff was. RWBY's status as one of the Academy's pre-eminent teams almost topped the lot of them. His friends were now such big deals, they overshadowed upperclassmen teams in regards to their noteworthiness.

While most of the other first-year Beacon students were finally shaking off their training wheels and creating their own identity, RWBY had already done just that.

They were the team with the youngest student ever accepted into Beacon. They had faced Roman Torchwick and forced him to flee on two separate occasions. They were the team that spectacularly slew a fully grown Nevermore in Initiation.

Heck, back during Initiation, not many of the other students paid much attention to the future Team FFOG's fight with a bloody Hydra, which was no meagre feat. However, much to the FFOG's quiet chagrin; most of the upperclassmen had their eyes squarely fixed on RWBY and JNPR, though it was to a lesser degree with the latter. Friesian was not jealous of the other teams or anything like that, he just wished to share a bit of the limelight from time to time. It was okay if that did not come to pass.

He certainly could not speak for the rest of FFOG on that matter, but Friesian wanted to believe they felt the same.

"No we do not. Do we?" Ruby sounded adamant in the first part of her response; however, she immediately became unsure in the next.

"You really do, I am afraid," said Pyrrha. Out of everyone here, he supposed Pyrrha would know about being the centre of attention, and probably had some advice on how one might deal with it.

"C'mon ya gloryhounds. Leave some stuff for us to do in the Academy. We all got CVs to fill once our time in Beacon is over, and I'm not letting you hog all the good stuff." Grey said to RWBY, half as a joke while also being very serious.

They all had one, a curriculum vitae, or CV for short. It detailed all of their qualifications, special accolades, past jobs, and other personal information meant to interest potential employers. The CV would be crucial for some roles they could do as Huntsmen or if they wanted to do some other occupation than being a Huntsman, for the licences they would receive upon graduating from Beacon only did so much and for so long. Having a CV sparse of achievements would make their lives difficult in the long-run.

That it was Grey who drew attention to that matter was even more evidence that she was more than a bestial vacuum cleaner for food, as some in the Academy unfortunately perceived her. A real shame that this sort of thing was happening.

"Yeah. You ever think to stop hoarding it all and letting us have a piece?" Nora joined in, hands slammed flat on the table and her eyes switching between the four members of RWBY as she stared intensely at them. A bit of an overreaction, but he could not help but agree with her. It almost did feel as though RWBY were hogging all the attention.

"A piece of what? Do you want to get more attention or into trouble more often?" Weiss spoke up again with an even greater tinge of annoyance in her voice. Apparently, though she tried hard not to, the Heiress could not resist getting involved in the group's conversation. Especially since it involved her team and their very noticeable antics.

"Why not both?" Friesian was quick to answer her, though he was not alone, as Nora had said the exact same thing at the same time he had said it. Realising what they had done, the two of them reacted appropriately. "Jinx! You owe me a cola."

That brought a few chuckles from their teammates and friends, while he and Nora let out a short, mirthful laugh. Still, Friesian fully intended to get Nora to buy him a cola, with the ginger-haired Human most likely thinking the same. There was no way he would do that, for, despite them speaking at the same time, Friesian was totally convinced he began saying 'Jinx' milliseconds before Nora started to. So Nora owed him a cola.

Any other opinion or result was unacceptable.

"We have four years here in Beacon. I'm sure there will be numerous enough opportunities for us all to shine," Ren sagely uttered without taking his eyes off the book before him.

"Anyway, we're not getting into trouble because we want to be famous. Actually I take that back, for I sort of do from time to time." Yang was quick to admit, likely to stop someone else from pointing out this well-known fact about Yang. Not done speaking, she carried on in her attempt to defend her team. "Trouble finds us and we make ourselves famous by fixing it."

"I don't know about that. Last I checked, you four had definitely gone looking for it when you took off that day," Friesian reminded them.

"We _don't_ go looking for trouble! Isn't that right sis? Weiss? Blake?" The first two girls Ruby called to said something to affirm that they agreed with the blonde. However, the third had said nothing, her lack of a response being quickly noted by Friesian and everyone else at the table. "Blake, uh, are you gonna back me up here?"

Of Blake, the Cat Faunus had seemingly been roused from her brooding state, and looked up from the table she had been so transfixed by for the last several minutes. Finding herself the subject of almost everyone's curious gazes, Blake answered Ruby's question as best she could.

"Huh? Oh yeah, that's true." After she finished speaking, the bow wearing girl opened up a textbook and began 'reading' through its pages. Friesian doubted she actually was reading it, for the book in her hands was, in truth, upside down, and she was doing this to get their attention away from her. Sort of did the opposite with that noncommittal response, and this whole reading a book upside down thing she happened to be doing now.

Were they going to see a repeat of what happened last semester? When Blake decided to disappear on her team and friends? He sorely wished for it to not be the case, and that, for once, RWBY stick to being awkward teenagers like the rest of them were.

Granted, RWBY was most definitely a collection of awkward teenagers. They just had the unfortunate addition of getting into misadventures greater than what one might consider normal for Huntresses-in-Training.

As the collective group of friends carried on with their discussion, Friesian noticed Faen had shut his textbook and begun to pack away his things as though he planning to leave. It was supposed to be a study period for them all, with the next lesson not due for another fifty or so minutes. Either he had come up with a new idea for how they spent those fifty minutes, or the Elf was heading off for some of that quiet alone time he liked so much.

"Are you going somewhere, Faen?" Of all people, it had been Jaune who asked FFOG's leader. The blonde Human had made several overtures to reconnect with Faen, while the Elf attempted to do the same a couple times, too. In spite of that, the two's relationship had not fully recovered yet.

"I have a rendezvous with Yasmin. We have shared business of importance to me," Faen answered as he slung his bag over his shoulder. The response he gave was not well received, not just because of the sparseness of details, but also who it was that Friesian's team leader was going to see. Really, he was going to see Yasmin again?

Even most members of RWBY and JNPR expressed some disapproval at Faen's plans, either by giving him a critical look or letting out a low grumble.

Needless to say, in the short time Yasmin had been with FFOG, she had done little to win any of them over. In fact, it felt as though she was intentionally doing the opposite. One of the most noticeable things she did was not refer to them by their names, but call them all 'things' and 'creatures'. The attitude of condescending disdain she showed them all was another reason for everyone to strongly dislike her, or at least avoid the Elf-Dracon.

The only person that appeared somewhat willing to tolerate Yasmin, and one of the few she treated with a modicum of respect, was Faen himself. How he could, and why, was an absolute mystery to them all.

"Oh. Well, would you mind if some of us tag along?" Akagi jumped in, she was half off her chair and ready to start packing her things at any moment.

"No. I shall be quite alright on my own," was Faen's immediate response to the suggestion. It came too quickly, and sounded as though the Elf had rehearsed its utterance in his head before he had started to pick up his things. He probably had, if Friesian needed to be honest.

Their team leader's refusal visibly stung Akagi, and the Kitsune slumped back onto her chair, staring knives at him for turning down her offer. Now, while the Dullahan wanted at least one other person to accompany Faen whenever he dealt with their haughty, unofficial teammate. He saw it as a bit of an overreaction on Akagi's part. Normally she reserved that look for after the occasions where she and Friesian argued over motorbikes and cars.

Akagi now also glared like that at times such as this, when their leader left them to meet Yasmin. He would have thought Grey would be the person to do such a thing, but he had been proven wrong.

Faen did not get far when Akagi, seemingly unable to bare her frustration any longer, shot up to her feet, followed after the Elf, and quickly caught up with him. Words were exchanged, bitter ones if Friesian was judging their moods and faces right. They moved further away so took keep the contents of their conversation secret, escaping behind the library's many shelves to achieve just that. After two minutes of patiently waiting, Akagi came stomping back to the table, her face set in an expression of sour resignation and refusing to reveal just what was said.

He wondered whether Grey had caught any of what their teammates had said, but when he sent a questioning look her way, she just shrugged and turned back to the others. They could ask Akagi for the details, but Friesian doubted she would be willing to divulge anything in this sullen mood. Asking later was a viable idea, but only if Faen had not made her swear not to tell Friesian and the others anything.

Even when angry with Faen, the Kitsune would follow his word. This quality of hers was strange, somewhat admirable, and mildly creepy for some reason.

Either way, it still confused and perturbed Friesian how his team leader could distrust, yet, at the same time, interact with Yasmin as much as he did. Not only that, but he was still keeping whatever secret deal the two had made from the others in his own team. Really, if there was one other problem he could say Faen had, apart from being a little edgy, it would be how secretive the Elf could be. No matter how one may try to spin it, that really was a serious problem.

"Oh, hey Emerald! Over here!" Ruby suddenly called to someone in the distance a bit too loudly, before zipping off to who knows where as a barely trackable blur of red. Leaving a few red rose petals in her wake.

"Does no one here know how to properly behave in a library?" Weiss snapped at them all, though Friesian believed the heiress would have directed her words specifically at Ruby, if she had not run off that is. "I mean seriously, hard hard is it for you all to-"

Weiss did not get to complete her sentence, for Ruby suddenly returned to them with a Haven Student in tow. She had dark-brown skin, red, eyes, short emerald hair, and a pretty athletic figure.

"Everyone, this is Emerald Sustrai. She's an exchange student from Haven." Ruby introduced the dark-skinned girl to them all, the infectious smile on her face wider than that of a Pixie after having drunk too much pollen-wine. On closer inspection, this Emerald person appeared pretty disorientated, which was understandable given how she was brought to the group's table. At last, after spending a moment to recover her wits, the now identified Emerald greeted them all.

"Uh, hello there. It is nice to meet you." Her speech was slow, while also sounding a bit awkward if the ears on Friesian's head were screwed on right and not imagining stuff. Given how abruptly their introduction to one another was, Emerald could be forgiven for acting as uncomfortably as she was right now.

The Dullahan reckoned he would do the same if he were in her shoes. To get dragged away from whatever simple errand you were doing by a teenage girl in a red hood, whose diet consisted solely of cookies and strawberries. Not something one tends to imagine or see in the daily horoscope. If someone did, they either had a _creative_ imagination, or were absolutely barmy in Friesian's opinion.

"So, this is the new friend you have been talking about, Ruby?" Weiss was quick to comment, her eyes assessing the exchange student RWBY's leader had brought to them.

"I wouldn't say we're friends exactly. We just met not long after the semester started," Emerald stepped in before Ruby could answer. She paused, glanced over to the red-hooded girl beside her, then spoke again. Standing, now, in a more confident and relaxed fashion. "But sure, I would not mind being friends with Ruby."

"Hope your first meeting was not as _explosive_ as Ruby's with Weiss. How was that guys?" Said Yang, causing all except Emerald to let out a grown of frustration at how the blonde had to slip a pun in. Friesian figured they should have all gotten used to it by now, but he guessed they were not yet desensitised by it just yet. A shame really, being accustomed to Yang's humour would have prevented him from wishing to stuff his ears full of wax.

Someone else in the library seemed to agree with their sentiments, and let out a disapproving 'Boo!' from some other part of the library as soon as Yang finished. Whoever they were, and how they could have heard Yang's pun, was a mystery. But, so long as it meant other people shared their views on Yang's humour, he saw no problem in it.

"Yang, your puns are getting more unforgivably terrible with each one you say." Akagi groaned in response to the attempt at humour Yang made. Her fox ears drooping until they were flat against her head as she spoke.

"Yeah, quit before we're forced to replace you with an actual comedian." Nora added to what Akagi had to say, causing Friesian's head to titter, and his body to give the energetic girl a high-five. Others were equally amused by Nora's much more palatable joke, and openly laughed at it. Of course, Yang did not take it well, and spoke up once more.

"Excuse me? I am _the_ best comedian you guys will ever meet in your entire lives. You might say I am the _pun-niest_ comedian you will meet." Yang hotly defended herself after giving him and Nora a quick glare, slipping in an even worse joke as she did. "Come on, I have everything! The eye-catching looks. The witty know-how. The creative spark all comedians and artists need. Say whatever you want about me, but I would have totally been a comedic legend in another lifetime."

"If that's true, then I guess comedy truly is dead." Faen's voice unexpectedly butted into the conversation after Yang had finished. Swivelling his head from its position on the table, Friesian rose a brow when he saw his team leader striding back towards them. Conflicted though his thoughts might be towards the Elf right now, the Dullahan could not help but crack a smile at Faen's words.

No sooner had Friesian shown off his pearly-whites, the others sat around the table decided to show their thoughts on it as well. Thankfully, he was not the only one who had found the Elf's words to be surprisingly entertaining. In fact, a short round of chuckles and laugh rose up from the others, which was a lot better than how Yang's pun was received.

Looking at the blonde in question, Friesian could only liken the expression on her face to as though she had stepped in scalding hot water. Understandable really, for what Faen had said really was one hell of a burn.

"Hey, Faen! What brought you back here?" Grey asked the white-haired Elf, her attention fully focused on him and her wolf-ears perked up in interest. She did not need to wait long, for Faen was quick to answer his best friend.

"Forgot this," Faen replied as he reached over the table and picked up a red, hardbacked book that Friesian had just noticed was there. The Dullahan remembered seeing it several times before, as he had witnessed Faen and Akagi reading it together on occasion. He promptly stuffed it into his bag, and, just as he was about the leave again, Faen paused when he saw Emerald. "And she is?"

"Oh, Faen, this is Emerald Sustrai, she is from Mistral. Emerald, this is my friend Faen Tatharion." Ruby was the one to answer his question, zipping next to the Emerald when she introduced the newcomer to Faen, then speeding beside Faen when telling her of him. Again, RWBY's team leader left rose petals in her wake, and this time they got all over the table. Sighing to himself, Friesian began to clear the petals off his part of the table, with the others doing the same.

They had to do this every time Ruby used her Semblance in their dorms, so it was no big deal. Well, at least to Friesian it was not.

As he scooped up the six rose petals that landed on his table, and the two on him, Friesian glanced over to his team leader and Ruby's latest acquaintance. Just as he guessed, Faen was saying nothing and giving her that analysing look he gave all new people he met. Funnily enough, Emerald was doing something similar, and appeared to be scrutinising Faen in turn. Something was playing through both their heads, that much Friesian could tell, but what it was he could not say.

"Pleasure to meet you," Emerald nodded to Faen, breaking the momentary silence that had fallen over them all.

"Hmph, likewise," Faen finally said in the curt fashion Friesian had come to expect of him when first interacting with new people. Then, without so much as saying a word to anyone else, he turned and walked away from them all. The Elf obviously did not view her in a friendly manner, which it was the same for just about anyone new, so there was nothing special there.

Still sucked that he had not stayed, but if what he had to do with Yasmin was so important to him, then he could go do whatever it was.

"Um, I'm guessing there is some kind of story behind that... 'joke.'" Emerald asked, making quotation marks with her fingers as she uttered the last word of her sentence. It seems she agreed with them on the low levels of funniness Yang's humour possessed.

"Yes. Wait, wait I mean... no! No there absolutely is not a story there whatsoever." Ruby panickedly responded to Emerald's inquiry, doing more to pique the exchange student's interest, or so Friesian thought anyway. Friesian was sure he would be if he were in her shoes.

Emerald sent a puzzled look at Ruby, but shrugged shortly afterwards.

"Well, nevermind all of that. I would like to personally welcome you to Beacon, and hope you enjoy your stay with us here." Pyrrha politely greeted Emerald while also extending a hand to the newcomer, which Emerald earnestly took with a small smile. It looks as though they had a new addition to their merry band of friends and acquaintances.

What came next was everyone at the table taking a brief moment to introduce themselves to Emerald. Most of them were pretty welcoming, practically opening their arms to Emerald and welcoming her to this circle of friends. Only two people at the table had acted pretty lukewarm or less when talking to Emerald, them being Blake and Akagi. Even then, they at least acknowledged she was here.

Then, it became Friesian's turn to welcome the new arrival.

"Hi there! The name's Friesian Bones, I am a Dullahan." Friesian's said as his body offered a hand to Emerald, while his head formed the most welcoming smile it could muster.

In response to it, Emerald recoiled slightly as soon as she laid eyes on him. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and she took a step backwards as well, generally acting as though she had seen a corpse. She ended up shaking the hand his body offered to her, but he noticed she retreated from it quicker than what might be considered polite. Perplexed by it all, Friesian blinked his eyes a couple times and turned his head over to Grey so he could ask what she thought of Emerald's strange reaction.

Unfortunately, before he could even get a word in, the conversation continued and the Dullahan was forced to hold onto his question for the time being.

"So, Emerald, how are you finding Beacon so far?"

"It has its charms. Vale too, I suppose." Emerald paused for a moment, then started talking again to elaborate a little further. "The buildings look neat, the culture's more diverse, and the people are far nicer when compared to the parts I grew up in."

"For what its worth, thanks for thinking so positively of our little corner of Remnant." Friesian popped in after hearing what Emerald had to say of Beacon and Vale. He had seen pictures of the breathtaking vistas of Mistral, so any compliment directed to good old Vale were sweet in his books. Still peculiar the way Emerald reacted to him, but at this point, he began to ignore it and carry on with what he was doing.

He was curious what she meant by 'the parts I grew up in', but he thought it best to not pry or look too much into it. She probably just grew up in a rougher part of Mistral or something.

"Well, uh, I gotta go back to my team. You guys... take care," Emerald bid them all farewell.

"Bye!" Ruby replied, with the others following suit.

And with that, Emerald was off. A pretty short interaction, as first meetings go, but Friesian believed it to be nice and insightful enough.

"What do you think of her?" Friesian questioned Grey as soon as Emerald had gone. He might have chosen to ask Akagi, but she still seemed to be in a sour mood, so his partner was the better choice right now. He could ask the Kitsune what she thought later.

"She seems okay, I guess. Though, like the rest of this lot, I think she needs to put a lot more meat on those bones of hers." The Werewolf admitted, pointing a finger towards everyone sat at the table when she brought up their less 'meatier' bodies, as Grey like to put it. Not even Friesian was exempt from her judging finger.

"Hey!" The Dullahan and almost everyone at the table were quick to cry out, as none of them really appreciated Grey's 'criticisim' of their persons.

"It's true! The only ones here who aren't twigs are me and Pyrrha." Grey folded her arms as she spoke, obviously unwilling to take back what she said earlier. "How any of you can lift those weapons of yours is beyond me. All of you need to start working out and to eat some more, so you can get guns like these."

Upon finishing her sentence, Grey proceeded to stand on her chair and flex her arm muscles to them all. In response, Yang and Nora started doing the same, though, Nora went a step further and showed off her calves. Stamping one foot on the table to do so, making everything on it jump slightly, including Friesian's head.

Still, fun though it might be watch the three try to out-flex one another, and everyone's reaction to it, there was an issue that concerned Friesian. The expression on Emerald's face when she laid eyes on the Dullahan still bugged him, and he could not understand why it happened. In fact, the same feeling he had about why Team NDGO left had popped up again. For Emerald this time around.

Friesian could not stand it any longer. If he could not figure it out on his own, he would turn to his friends. It was what they were all for, and surely they would tell him if something was wrong.

"Guys, could you please be honest with me? Do I have anything on my face or is there something else wrong?" His question received quite a reaction from the others at the table, for they had all gone stock still and faced Friesian one by one rather dramatically. Very strange, but Friesian continued to speak "I've got this weird feeling that I do, but I already checked if I have and I saw nothing. Would you guys mind telling me if you see something wrong?"

As if things could not get any stranger, it did. For reasons the Dullahan could not tell, his friends started to exchange uneasy looks with each other and fidget on their seats, all the while not meeting his head's gaze. Something was up, Friesian could feel it. As much as he tried, however, he could not tell what it was.

Before any of the others at the table could say anything in response to his inquiry, the uneasy silence that filled the air around them was abruptly broken.

"Unworthy! Unworthy!" A voice suddenly yelled from outside a nearby open window. The harsh voice belonged to a young woman, and was accompanied by a constant cracking noise. Strange though it may sound to first timers, they all heard it before and knew what was happening outside.

"Oh no. It sounds like someone picked a fight with one of those Valkyries," Pyrrha worriedly remarked. They all knew from personal experience how violent a fight with one of the Valkyries from Atlas could be. Knowing what they did, much of it from personal experience, the group could not help but feel sorry for whoever was getting their ass handed to them right now. Friesian did anyway, but he was sure they all did as well.

"Say, how about we all go see what exactly is going on outside? I am sure it must be _very_ interesting to watch," Grey proposed to them all. The suggestion caught Friesian off-guard, and he really did not wish to watch; but he seemed to be the only one in that regard.

"Sure thing!" Everyone apart from Friesian said in agreement with Grey, before hurriedly getting up from their seats and rushing over to the window where the voice could be heard. Leaving Friesian alone at the table.

He did not understand why his friends had collectively taken an interest in what was happening outside the library. They all knew what was happening; someone had pissed off a Valkyrie, now they were pinned to floor and getting their faces smashed in by said Valkyrie's foot. It was sort of a thing those Valkyrie exchange students from Atlas liked to do, be it in a brawl outside of classes or a 'friendly' sparring session. Truth was, there was hardly anything friendly about a spar with those Valkyries, and Friesian wondered if it were a kink of theirs to step on other people's faces

Honestly, when Friesian himself had been fought a Valkyrie last week, he had no idea whether he were in Heaven or Hell. Hell because a high-heeled boot was kicking his head's face, and it was stomping dangerously close to his crotch for comfort. Heaven because he had been under a beautiful young woman.

Possible weird kinks aside, a thought ran through Friesian's mind as he slowly joined his friends at the window. He did not know where it came from, but a part of him wondered if his friends had drawn attention to the face-smashing via foot going on outside to avoid answering his question. Such thoughts did not make sense to Friesian, for what reason would they want to do this?

There was nothing on his face after all, the Dullahan had checked again, and he was sure there was nothing too odd about himself in the looks department. So why they would all avoid his question really did puzzle Friesian.

Whatever the case, his friends were weird people. Really weird.

* * *

Striding with great, long steps, Faen quietly walked to where Yasmin stated they should meet while under the gaze of the Sun, which was decently gentle today. A few other students who passed him by shot quick glances his way, but Faen ignored them as best as he was able, and continued on his way.

His destination, the Beacon chapel, was a short distance from the main buildings, and not too far from the dorms. It was a structure built to accommodate those who practised one of the various religions and beliefs spread across Remnant. Although religiosity in general was declining as of late, every Huntsman Academy had a chapel somewhere on their grounds.

Faen was no ardent believer of his chosen faith, but his belief was enough that he paid homage to his people's pantheon of gods when the need arose. As a result, he had been to the chapel a fair number of times since coming to Beacon.

Yasmin's decision for it to be the location where she would show him how to meditate made some sense, as the chapel had a number of rooms where one might perform rituals of their faith in private. Meditation in Elf society was not integral to their faith; it just happened to be something they were encouraged to perform. Still, the facilities to perform it were present in the chapel, for his people were not the only ones who practised this exercise.

When he was leaving the library, Odori made bits of how she felt of his meetings with Yasmin known. She held back on telling her full thoughts and feelings, or so he thought, and probably would not

Unfortunately, what should have been a quiet and calm trip to the chapel took a turn for the worst. As Faen ran into Halvard the Dwarf of all people. They both walked on the same paved pathway, though Halvard trod on the other side and was plodding in the opposite direction of Faen's destination.

Both Elf and Dwarf, as was their wont, narrowed their eyes and afixed the other with as menacing a glare they could muster. Neither of them ceased moving, their legs acting on their own accord and taking them down the path while the two continued to glare.

The closer the two drew towards one another, the more intense their stare-off became. Nothing had been said by either of them, for the emotion conveyed through their eyes told more than mere words ever could. For Faen's mind, at least, that was why no words had yet to pass his lips. Why Halvard said nothing, well, if someone were to ask Faen it was because the Dwarf did not have the mental capacity to do more than two things at once.

An insult and one definitely not true at all. But he would have said it if the opportunity arose nonetheless.

Finally, when the two were just about to pass each other by, they broke the silence that filled the air around them. Their voices were curt, and thick with spite.

"Halvard."

"Faen."

The venom in Faen's voice could have been enough to kill an elephant, while the sharpness in Halvard's could cut an iceberg in half. Other than that, nothing else was said as the two Demi-Humans passed each other by. As that happened, the two finally broke eye-contact and continued on their way to whatever place they sought. A more peaceful interaction compared to those they had in their early years at Vigil, but this was just the calm before the storm.

Neither had faced each other in a sparring match or duel of honour as of yet, but the moment for such a time drew near. Faen could feel it in his bones. It was Fate's will that it happen.

Faen had not challenged Halvard in a duel not out of cowardice, but because doing so would be foolish. He had grown and learnt whilst here in Beacon, and Halvard had most certainly done the same. Facing the Dwarf without first gauging his skill as a fighter, and no knowledge of any new tricks he could have up his sleeve, would be incredibly unwise. So the Elf restrained himself, and by no means was that an easy feat for Faen to do.

Just walking past him as he did now had been enough to arouse a want in his heart. A want to strike the Dwarf in whatever means he possibly could. Not just to strike, but the urge to pounce, claw, and rend him apart into a hundred bloody pieces filled his mind.

How he longed to just give into those urges, to just surrender to them and attack his nemesis. As much as he may want to, surrendering to such emotions would be unbecoming of him, and invited humiliation and more attention than he would like. He was stronger than these urges, thought Faen; they would not overwhelm and undo him as those fallen heroes in some of his books were. It took all his willpower to do so, but Faen suppressed these malicious thoughts for the time being.

When they finally faced each other, for Faen was determined that they would one day, he would be prepared for the Dwarf. His fighting style, weapon features, special tricks, strengths, and weaknesses, all would be known to Faen. When the time they meet in an arena came, the Elf resolved to be alike to a hawk circling above a witless field mouse. All he need do when the time to fight came was swoop on his prey, and snatch Halvard up in his talons.

A difficult task to be sure, his years in Vigil made him knowledgeable of that, but Faen would see it done.

By the time Faen could no longer hear Halvard's ponderous footsteps, his destination finally came into view. The chapel was a simple, single-storey building; its architecture bore no external sign of opulence or grandeur that might mark the building out as anything of great importance. Still, from the visits he had made to this place, Faen knew the chapel was in no way small or confining. It possessed a large number of rooms to accommodate the various beliefs and practises possessed by Beacon's students and teachers. Many there must be if the Academy had gone out of its way to construct this place.

Entering it, Faen found it to be as silent as the first time he passed through the chapel's doorway. The silence was almost deafening, and every step he took resounded off the walls of the entry chamber.

Moving into the main hall, he saw a Mūmiya sat in a corner, a lanky humanoid whose skin was covered head to toe in linen wrappings. In one hand he clutched a talisman shaped as a stylised eye as he whispered some sort of chant in a foreign language under his breath. Faen paid the Mūmiya no mind, and walked over to one of the scarcely used rooms meant for meditation that Yasmin instructed be the place they meet.

Opening the door, Faen took in his surroundings, for he had never once been in this room before. This meditation room was circular with a domed ceiling and, much like everything else in the chapel, simple in its design. Made primarily for function instead of form. The curtains of the chamber's five windows had been closed shut, darkening it to the point Faen's eyes needed a couple seconds to adjust to the dimness that enveloped this place. His people's natural ability to see decently in the dark coming in handy on this occasion.

If it were not for the fact six lit candles rested in small alcoves in the walls illuminated the dark chamber, and that Yasmin's waiting form stood at the centre, the Elf would have assumed he had entered the wrong room. Or that Yasmin had missed her own deadline.

Of the fellow occupant of this small chamber, he saw she was not wearing her usual combat outfit. From the bottom-up; Yasmin was barefoot, wore tight-fitting black jeans, and a forest-green halterneck shirt. The colours of her clothes barely visible in the dim light emitted from the candles. Yasmin's facemask was removed from her face, but he saw it remained on her person, as it was wrapped around her left forearm.

Loathe though he might be to admit it, even if it were in his own head, Faen believed the Elf-Dracon to be strangely... enticing in her present attire. If 'enticing' was the right adjective to describe how he truly felt.

From how her jeans closely hugged her long legs, the way the sleeveless shirt exposed her smooth and graceful arms, to the emphasis the shirt also gave to her slender neck. If he were a baser fellow or Yasmin in possession of a more endearing personality, Faen might have decided to make some lecherous advances towards the Elf-Dracon here and now. Might have, but neither he nor Yasmin were as described. They were also in a chapel, which, as far as Faen was concerned, not a place for such behaviour.

Shaking these accursed thoughts from his mind, stepped through the doorway and closed it behind him. He was here now, may as well see it through to the end.

 _"Mae_ _govannon_. Yasmin, I am here." Faen politely greeted his fellow Demi-Human in his own language, motivated by tradition than any real wish to actually be polite. He had not needed to announce his presence, she could see him well enough, but the Elf had done so anyway.

 _"Well met. So you are, that is good. I have already prepared this space for us, so we may begin immediately, if you so wish. Before we begin, you must remove your shoes."_ Was Yasmin's response to his announcement, but she had not spoken completely in Common Elf instead of English. Sure he had started things of that way, but he had not expected Yasmin to speak full sentences that way.

Well, if that was how Yasmin intended they converse within this chamber, he would oblige her for now.

Before anything else could be done, Faen spared the room one more quick inspection. Searching for any surprises she may have hidden away in the gloom he found himself in. As fortune would have it, there was none to be seen, heard, or smelt. Her weapon was absent, nothing hung from the ceiling ready to drop onto him, and no other scent was present except for his, Yasmin's, and that of melting wax. He was probably acting a tiny bit paranoid, as Faen was sure Grey would say if she were here now, but being safe than sorry would have been his answer.

His fears this whole thing was a trap that would lead to another duel between the two somewhat assuaged, the Elf removed his shoes and socks, and carefully placed them together beside the door. While he did that, he noticed Yasmin's own pair of boots was next to it as well. The thought of asking if these boots were her only form of footwear entered his mind, but it was unimportant and did not matter to him.

While Faen had not originally intended to meditate in any way, shape, or form; he was not ignorant of the various schools of meditation and their principles. Judging from the chamber's shut curtains, the six candles, and the darkness that was beginning to engulf them, Yasmin wanted him to try the Darkling Path School of meditation. Whether she was an adherent of it could only be guessed at.

It had been ages ago that he had read the overview regarding several of the Elven meditation disciplines, but Faen remembered a few details on this particular manner of meditation. Practitioners were meant to seclude themselves somewhere dark and quiet, these two factors meant to remove two major distractions of the mind, and focus on something. Be it something such as a specific train of thought, a chant, their breathing, or even the darkness around them. Hence, why it was known as the Darkling Path.

There was nothing malign about this meditation form, despite how its name might make one believe otherwise. The name was created purely because those first devotees of this discipline tended to reside in dimly lit locations, with a few going so far as to live in pure darkness.

Thing was, the vision of Elves was pretty good in low light conditions, so the purpose of meditating in the dark was not to make one blind. No, the purpose was to instead reduce the amount of colours one saw in their surrounding environment, thus reducing the amount of disruptive signals present. Other disciplines took more radical steps to achieve the mental clarity or spiritual enlightenment meditation could endow, and Faen hoped Yasmin had no intention of trying _those_ disciplines. The Darkling Path was good enough for him, if it worked that is.

Back to the present, Faen watched as Yasmin extinguished each of the candles within the chamber, moving between each of them with a measured grace so typical of her. Her task done, Yasmin sat with crossed legs on a square cushion resting on the floor near the centre of the room, her hands resting on both of her knees. Parallel to it was another cushion, no doubt meant for him.

 _"Sit across from me,"_ said Yasmin, gesturing a hand over to the space between them.

Faen complied with Yasmin's order, temporarily taking up the mantle of a student diligently listening to the teachings of a mentor. He had no choice as of right now, and he would endure it for as long as it would be necessary.

Taking his place in front of Yasmin, whilst also copying the position she had adopted as best he can,

 _"Close your eyes, and control your breathing."_ Yasmin continued to instruct him, though he paused before carrying out that first order. It should be enough that his Elven eyes could hardly make out the colour of Yasmin's clothes, but to close his eyes was something Faen was reluctant to carry out. In the end, Faen did as Yasmin asked, and shut his eyes. _"Do not breathe too deeply, but allow the air to fill your lungs before exhaling. Clear your mind of all other thoughts, and focus on breathing for now. Breathe in... and breathe out. Breathe in... breathe out."_

These instructions sounded easy enough to follow, and by the time what felt like a minute had passed, Faen believed he had got a hang of it. His 'teacher' thought otherwise, however. And she was quick to point out a flaw in what he was doing.

 _"You are too tense. Drop your shoulders and relax your muscles. A clear mind requires a body ready to accept it,"_ Yasmin scolded him all of a sudden. The Elf internally frowned at the chastisement he received from his instructor, but did as he had been told. Faen had not been aware how tense he had been all this time, and his shoulders actually felt sore as soon as he relaxed them. _"Good. We will carry on this way until I believe we are done."_

Time ticked by, and in the several minutes the two Demi-Humans remained sat in the meditation chamber, Faen immersed himself in meditation. He was still unsure whether he was doing this right, but he needed a clear head, so the Elf did his best to not think on his doubts. So he focused on nothing but his breathing for the entirety of the time the two sat together.

His own rythmic breathing and heartbeat, as well as Yasmin's, being the only sound that could be heard within the chamber. That was not all, for the Elf's ears could pick up chirping of birds and gentle wind outside the shut windows of the chamber. It might just be his imagination, but Faen considered those noises far more soothing and pleasant than he ever had before. Nice though it might be, the longer he meditated the more those sounds faded away until he barely noticed them, or even the smell of melted candlewax.

At last, after what felt like an eternity of sitting silently in the chamber, Yasmin's voice cut through the dark once more.

 _"And we are done. You can finally open your eyes."_ Slowly Faen did just as Yasmin told him to, and beheld his 'instructor'. The Elf-Dracon was still sat before him, and wore a both curious and serene expression on her face as she spoke once again. " _So? Do you feel different or even better somehow?"_

Taking a moment to consider her question, Faen fidgeted around a bit and thought about it. He felt strangely refreshed, though whether that was an intended effect of meditating, Faen could not remember or currently tell from Yasmin herself. If his mind had been properly cleared, for that was the primary purpose of this endeavour, he could not even determine if that had been successful. How did one know if their mind was clear to begin with?

Regardless, there was no point in dawdling for too long. An answer had to be given, and an answer was what Yasmin would receive.

 _"I feel... hardly changed."_ He was being truthful in his response, and Yasmin seemed to have anticipated it.

 _"It will take several sessions before you begin to sense any real changes, as meditation is not an instantaneous solution, nor are its effects obvious at first."_ Yasmin shrugged as she stood up from her meditation position and began to pack up her things. _"At times, an individual does not have the required discipline for it. Not that I believe you are lacking that regard. Give it time, and you will see the benefits of it all."_

 _"This had better be worth all the effort,"_ Faen grunted as he, too, stood up from his meditation pose. At his words, Yasmin gave him a bemused look, as though he had asked whether she could speak English.

 _"Practise makes perfect, as people like to say. Try doing this whenever you are able to on your own. Most preferably at the start of the day, ten to fifteen minutes is ehat I would recommend. You have never struck me to be one who enjoys having their hand held in everything you do, after all."_ With that, Yasmin walked over to her boots and began to pull the socks she had kept in them over her feet.

He could let Yasmin be and carry on with his day. But concerns that had been growing in his heart bloomed, and words he had exchanged with his partner prior to his arrival here, bade him to confront the Elf-Dracon. Sure she had 'helped' him just now, but there were issues that needed raising not even this gesture could override.

It could very well be a pointless endeavour, given how past confrontations had gone; but for the sake of himself and his team, Faen needed to do this.

 _"If I may be so bold, might I ask where you went to earlier?"_ No elaboration on what he meant was needed, or so Faen believed, as he was sure his unofficial teammate would understand.

 _"You know the answer I will give you, Faen."_ Yasmin replied as she finished putting her boots back on. She was correct, Faen knew she would say next to nothing of her latest escapade out of Beacon, and that was a part of the problem. This lack of communication and understanding, it could not be allowed to continue. In fact, Faen refused to allow the current state of things to carry on this way.

 _"Yes, I do. That is why I am having second thoughts about this arrangement the Headmaster organised. An arrangement I was sorely against from its very inception,"_ Faen said whilst taking a step towards Yasmin. He needed to make her understand the seriousness of this situation, and only boldness could possibly achieve that. _"I know nothing of what, where, and why you leave the Academy for. Your very presence is disruptive to the cohesion of my team. And the only benefit I receive from all this is a sparring partner whose skill matches my own."_

That last issue he had raised happened to be him venting a little, but it did not lack any truth.

Make no mistake, Faen was thrilled in an odd sort of way that he had found a warrior who was truly his equal. Part of him felt as though the Elf-Dracon's coming to Beacon to be a gift from Fate. Even so, Fate, being its ever so mercurial and whimsical self, handed him a cursed gift, for Yasmin aggravated him more than she did his teammates.

And what was the point of keeping a gift, if all it did was invite trouble for its recipient? As far as Faen saw things, if Yasmin were to remain with FFOG, she had to change how she acted, or open up about the parts of their arrangement that she and Ozpin refused to tell him.

 _"It was my hope we would end this encounter on a high. Do you plan to take such matters to the Headmaster?"_ Yasmin coolly asked him, matching his gaze and taking a step his way in turn. He too had hoped this would not descend into a messy confrontation, but Fate seems to have ordained it to be that way.

 _"If it continues this way, yes."_ He could not back down, Faen needed to stand his ground if he wanted the answers he sought. For he had grown tired of not only Yasmin's aggravating attitude, but also the complaints his team made about the Elf-Dracon. Killing two birds with one stone, as the Kingdomers said. _"I want answers, Yasmin. Answers that you will give to me."_

 _"So, what you desire is an explanation? Is that it? You wish for me to go back on my word to the Headmaster, to make me an oathbreaker, over questions you have simply been dying to ask me?"_ To his frustration, Yasmin gazed at him as though he were a dog barking for attention from its owner. That would change, he would make it change.

 _"Correction, Yasmin. I am not asking for an explanation from you, I demand for one."_ Faen growled at Yasmin, getting right up to her face in a threatening manner. She was hardly affected, however, so Faen began to quickly devise a plan for what to do next.

Oaths were not only of great importance to him, but most other members of the Elven race, even those who were only part-Elf. Persuading Yasmin to break her sworn oath would be a very difficult task to do, but he needed to get it done for the answers he wanted.

 _"The Headmaster does not need to know you have revealed anything to me. You have already displayed a willingness to keep secrets from others, and I can assure you that I am very capable of doing so as well."_ It would take much more than a few words and a show of assertiveness to get Yasmin to divulge her secrets, something else was required as well. Thankfully, Faen was able to think of what might force her to give into his demands. _"I am a worthy opponent, am I not? The only true one you will find in this 'den of Humans', as you so eloquently called the Academy once."_

 _"What are you getting at, Faen?"_ Yasmin's eyes narrowed at him, obviously suspicious of what he was planning.

 _"Deny me the truth of why you disappear from the Academy, then I shall deny you the pleasure of our duels. Never again will I raise my blade to attack or defend against you. Even if my own life were to be at stake, you will find no fight in me."_ Faen was taking a huge gamble with this, for though he was very willing to go through with his 'threat', he was unsure whether or not it would be enough to sway Yasmin. He needed to add more to it, and the Elf had a good idea how to do just that. _"It is true there are a great many skilled warriors in Beacon, many of who are more skilled than I. That Nikos girl for example. But do you really wished to sully blades with creatures like them? With Humans? With... lesser creatures?"_

Referring to everyone else in the Academy as 'lesser creatures' left a bad taste in Faen's mouth, and almost felt compelled to take it back. That, however, would be counterproductive to all the effort he had put into convincing Yasmin, so Faen stomached such feelings for now and maintained his current composure. Such thoughts, Faen ultimately reasoned, were inconsequential and mattered little when compared to the other parts of what he had said. Namely what Faen promised to withhold if she were to disagree with him.

No one apart from himself duelled with Yasmin, and she was absolutely unwilling to find another sparring partner despite the myriad of choices around her. What he was counting on with this gamble was Yasmin's nearly unbearable pride, and her spiteful views for everyone else in the Academy. It was among the greatest gambits he ever took in his life, believing that she might succumb to something so petty, but he had few other ideas.

Of Yasmin, the Elf-Dracon held his gaze and appeared unmoved by his words, but Faen knew much better. She was trying to figure out whether he was bluffing or not, for the way Yasmin stared into his eyes was the same as when she tried to predict whether an attack of his was a feint or not.

Finally, after a long, pregnant silence spent just standing and staring at each other, Yasmin broke eye contact with him and let out a low hiss.

 _"My dorm. 9 o'clock tomorrow night. Meet me then, and I shall reveal all that I know to you."_ There was an edge to her voice that Faen knew to be reluctance, but he could not agree with the time and date Yasmin wished for. That was too much time for her to devise a lie, or, worse yet, think twice and inform the Headmaster of his demands. Well, he had an idea how to handle that.

 _"7 o'clock tonight,"_ he insisted to the Elf-Dracon. That was over three hours time, and suited Faen much better than what Yasmin had proposed to her. Now, for how he would dissuade Yasmin from thinking against their next rendezvous. _"And by the honour of the last five generations of your ancestors, swear you will meet me then, and speak to no one of this. No soul, not even Headmaster Ozpin, can know of what we will speak of."_

 _"Fine,"_ Yasmin hissed one more time. She almost appeared ready to breathe fire from her mouth, and thank the gods she could not. _"On the honour of my reverred ancestors, five generations past, I vow we shall meet at the assigned time and date, and no word of it shall be spoken to another."_

Though Yasmin was only part-Elf, it seems she had been right to assume honour would be her weakness, just as it could be for any sef-respecting member of his race. A difficult decision to be sure, for, in Faen's own eyes, forcing Yasmin to break an oath was a stain on both their honours. Making the Elf-Dracon swear another oath of secrecy for their next meeting surely displeased Yasmin, and the gods, even more than his previous actions had done.

She might very well hold it against him, Faen would if he were her, but the secrets he could learn outweighed having Yasmin hold a grudge against him. That was his hope, anyway. Besides, it was Yasmin who was willing to surrender her honour for the sake of keeping him as a sparring partner. So, as far as Faen was concerned, that made her as bad as him right now.

Mentally debating on who might be worse between the two could be an interesting idea to play with, but he had more important matters to occupy himself with.

With their business largely concluded for now, and their next meeting arranged, Yasmin turned away from him and stormed out of the meditation chamber. She attempted to keep a dignified appearance, but Faen could see the anger in the way she strode out the doorway. As soon as she had left, Faen let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Once again, Faen could not help but lament over how difficult conversing with Yasmin was. If it were within his power, their interactions would only consist of the duels they fought with steel, and that would be it. None of this damned fighting with words crap that they engaged in almost all the time. It was only when the blood rushed through their veins, and their hands held tightly onto a weapon's grip, that Yasmin was probably the most honest with him.

Thus far, he had exercised a great deal of patience with Yasmin, and it appeared he needed to show a bit more. Oh how terribly he hated all this, but what choice did he currently have right now?

Stepping out of the meditation chamber, Faen took a moment to look around the chapel. Yasmin was nowhere to be seen, with the only signs of her ever having been here the traces of her scent that the Elf could smell. The Mumiya had left as well, but he really did not care about that. Only one other person was in the chapel's main hall, that being the familiar figure of Monica Dusk, which was no real surprise to be honest.

Walking to the main hall to interact with her, and, as expected, the Vampire had been able to detect his approach and turned her head towards him. As soon as she laid eyes on him, Monica's face lit up, and her lips formed a warm smile that Faen could not help but return with one of his own. It was small, and probably did not look like a smile to her, but the mutual feelings conveyed through it should be understandable enough.

"Oh! Hello Faen, I thought it was your scent that I smelt in here." Monica greeted him soon as he was five paces away from her.

"Good afternoon, Sister. Smelt me, did you? Do I need to take a bath?" Faen asked the nun in jest.

"Maybe," Monica immediately replied to him, with nary a hint of humour in her voice. From her response, Faen guessed his little joke had completely blown over Monica's head. Not the first time Monica had not gotten a joke, and likely not the last.

"Ahem. Here to pray, I assume?" Faen finally said, gesturing to the door that would take them outside as he did. That had been a little embarrassing, but there was no point in dwelling on that the Elf supposed. He would have liked her to have understood his joke, but what could he do?

"No, it just so happens that I finished. I almost forgot to, but Amarantha was able to remind me, though." Monica replied to his inquiry, still wholly ignorant of the attempt at humour he made.

Yes, the Vampire took prayer _very_ seriously, and did so at least three times a day. Once every week she prayed for thirty minutes straight, which was mindboggling even for Faen. He was still not sure of the faith Monica followed, and of the establishment that raised her, but it could not be too bad a place if it produced someone like Monica. Right?

Reaching the door, Faen opened it for the Vampire, and let her through the doorway first. Monica smiled at him for it, and uttered a quick 'thank you' as she passed him by, slipping her shades on as she stepped into the sunlight. The Elf followed after her, and squinted his eyes for a couple seconds as he readjusted to the bright outdoors. If that was going to happen every time he meditated using the Darkling Path, he would not mind taking up another of the disciplines.

Maybe one that just involved sitting somewhere quiet, and _not_ putting him into a darkened chamber.

Now the two were outside, as well as alone, Faen took the opportunity to bring up a subject that interested the Elf for some time now. A subject centred around Monica. That being the hunt for the Vampire's unknown origins.

"Mind telling me if you found any luck with your search? If it is alright with you, I mean." The Elf loosened his cold exterior a bit as the two began to talk, while also walking to the main area of the Academy.

Recent events, and the rise in their schoolwork, had left little time for him to ask about Monica's search for where she had come from. Now was a good enough opportunity to do that. A quick check on the time revealed they still had plenty of time to converse, and a scan of the area around them showed none were close enough to eavesdrop on them.

"Oh yes... that. I cannot say I have made any sort of progress, but I might have found something." Monica trailed off, and a contemplative look came over the Vampire as though she were considering an idea in her head. Most likely whether it were a good idea to tell Faen what she found or not. This only aided in piquing his attention to what Monica could have discovered, and Faen made that fact known to Monica.

"Really now? If you do not mind telling me, what might this 'something' be?" Faen made sure to soften his voice as he made his query, to better convince Monica to trust him with her findings. He genuinely did care, but he had other reasons for taking an interest in Monica's search.

"Well, a search through a list of Beacon's past student count five Vampires as graduates of the Academy. Apart from that, however, I would much rather not say anything right now." The Vampire answered him, but noticing the intrigued look Faen wore on his face, Monica quickly got back to talking. "N-N-Not because I do not trust you with what I found. I do trust you. What I found could just be a dead end is all, and I do not wish to trouble you with it."

Touched as he was by Monica's claim that she trusted him, Faen frowned on the inside at her refusal to say more. A part of him, a selfish one at that, wished to hear what Monica found so he could find an opportunity of any kind from it. Knowledge was power after all, and knowing where the Vampire came from could prove useful in future interactions with his fellow Demi-Human.

Probably not a nice thing to seek out in this very personal matter of Monica's, but, so long as she did not know, there would be no need to worry.

"Your endeavour, your wish. Whatsoever you choose to do with what you find is fine by me." He was being honest in his last statement, and would understand if she chose to keep what she found to herself. The Elf would not pry too much into the matter, if she asked him to. "For your sake, I do hope this new lead helps you find wherever you came from."

"Thank you, Faen." Monica smiled once again, though he did not smile with her this time. They had the same class next, Weapon Crafting and Upkeep with Professor Mullberry, so he would walk with her for a bit more. It was as they carried on their way to the Academy's main area that Monica spoke up again. "You know, for as unapproachable and edgy as you can sometimes be, you are a far more compassionate person than most people give you credit for."

Faen almost tripped when Monica used the word 'edgy' as an adjective to describe him. Even she, one of the people he least expected to call him that accursed word, had just done so. The Elf was able to recover before Monica appeared to notice, then he sent the Vampire a quick sideways glance.

Oddly enough, where he would normally start fuming like a volcano on the inside when someone referred to him as 'edgy', the sensation was only a dull pinch to him.

Perhaps this meditation stuff could work after all.

* * *

Hours came and went, and 7PM was now just thirty seconds away.

Faen had excused himself from his team as they set up a game of Dark Paths, which was no great loss as far as he was concerned. He enjoyed the sessions, but he wanted a break from Friesian's game at times.

Weiss, of all people, would take his place at the table. It would be her first time playing the game, and he wished her good luck, for she would need it with the sheer amount of dice rolling that was involved. The dice, oh by the gods, the bloody dice.

Back to more pressing matters, Faen had only a few more seconds before the agreed upon time for his and Yasmin's latest rendezvous. Thankfully, the door to Yasmin's private dorm was in sight, and he would reach it right on time. No sooner was he at the door; it swung open to reveal Yasmin stood behind it. She had not changed out of the clothes she wore at their last meeting, and she immediately poked her head out and scanned the corridor to ensure no one else was in the area.

None were, and Yasmin hurriedly ushered him inside before someone appeared to see them together.

 _"Come in,"_ Yasmin uttered in Common Elf as she gestured for him to slip into her dorm, which he readily did. The answers he sought were so deliciously close, Faen could not afford to mess things up and be denied them now.

Excited though he might be for the truths he might finally receive, Faen scanned the room he had found himself inside. This was the first time he had been inside this room, and considering it was Yasmin's, it was very much necessary for him to do. Such was the trust he had for the Elf-Dracon.

The fairly spacious room that had been given to Yasmin was unlike the dorm Faen shared with the rest of FFOG, for it had only one bed, a table and chair, a wardrobe, and a few other items to make the place more liveable. Personal accessories to the room itself were minimal when compared to the student dorms, the only item being a certificate stating she graduated from Sentry. The last noteworthy feature of Yasmin's room being its bathroom, which, from a cursory glance, was far better than any of those the student dorms had. Honestly, the sight of it made him jealous somewhat.

This room happened to actually be in the block meant for teachers or visiting Huntsman. It sort of made sense, seeing as how Yasmin was meant to be Professor Taupe's assistant, but she was hardly ever called to perform this duty. And really, who would want to share a room with Yasmin of all people?

On the room's table was 'Path to Excellence', and, from a quick scan of the open pages, Faen surmised Yasmin had been reading the chapter that outlined the ideals of what an Elf warrior should possess. He had been able to recognise it as quickly as he did, because he had read it four times at least, and was the part of the book most relevant to him. In fact, Faen's own personal code had even been shaped by the ideals and virtues described within that very chapter.

Without warning, Yasmin swooped in and returned the book to its place in one of her room's short bookshelves.

"None followed you?" The Elf-Dracon asked him, finally speaking English, and sending him a cautious side-eye look before changing it towards the door. Neither of them heard the distant approach of anyone else with their sensitive ears, which was of some small comfort to him and Yasmin. For what was going to be discussed in this dorm, they required the utmost levels of privacy, or so Yasmin claimed.

"No one at all. My teammates are distracted by a little game, and I strolled around the dorm blocks a few time before coming here. If someone did, you and I would have heard and smelt them." Faen made his reply lengthier than he thought to be necessary, for he would have preferred to stop at that first sentence, but Yasmin needed to be calmed down. Putting Yasmin in the right mood, and convincing her it was safe to talk, will be crucial to how much she talked.

Yasmin let out a deep sigh, and then gestured for him to take a seat on her room's sole chair, while she sat down on her bed. Silently nodding to her, Faen took hold of the chair's backrest and pulled it over to Yasmin so he could sit in front her.

"So, what do you have to tell me? Speak the truth and only the truth," Faen said as he sat himself down on the chair.

"And I will, but first, you must swear an oath to me. My... superiors would have my head if they learnt I was telling you any this." From the way she spoke those words, and the look set on her face, told Faen she would not say a word unless he did just as she said. Controlling the urge to let out a frustrated growl the Elf nodded in agreement to her demand. "Good. By the honour of the last ten generations of your ancestors, you must swear that none but the two of us shall know of this conversation, or of what was spoken within it."

"So be it. On the honour of my ancestors, ten generations past, I vow to never speak of this conversation or what was spoken herein to any other soul." Faen expected that she might want him to do this, and he had not real choice but to comply with her wish. That she asked him to swear on ten generations of his own family spoke of the magnitude of what was to be said in this room.

Appearing to be satisfied with the vow of secrecy he had taken, a bit of the tenseness that possessed Yasmin dissipated. She still hesitated though, and Faen began to thrum his fingers on his legs as a show of the Elf's growing impatience with her. Yasmin picked up on this, and sent him an annoyed look in return, but finally got round to doing what she had sworn to do. Finally, at long last he would have his explanation.

"They say we live in a time of peace, perhaps the most peaceful as I once heard from some Human politician. Truth be told, even though the Great War ended long ago, another has constantly been waged for almost eight decades now."

"With the Grimm?" He had listened intently, and was perplexed by why she thought bringing up the Great War was relevant. Sure a few conflicts and disputes had arisen, but an nearly eighty year war? Yasmin had piqued his interest.

"Hah. If only," Yasmin let out a short, mirthless laugh before she carried on speaking. "Our lives would be far more simply if that were indeed the case. No, the foe my side of this secret war battles against are far more sinister than the Grimm. They are Demi-Humans, Humans, and Faunus. The Enemy are insidious parasites seeking to destroy us and all civilisation from within, and for no other reason than to see our world burn."

Having listened to Yasmin had to say thus far, Faen did his best to keep his rising doubts to himself, and guessed he should listen to the rest of what Yasmin had to say before judging the veracity of her words. Once she was done speaking, it was only then that the Elf would voice them. She had sworn to tell him the truth, but he had also forced her to go against her own word to the Headmaster, so there was always room for doubt. Especially since this was starting to sound alike to one those crazy conspiracy theories.

"The Enemy, as we often call our foe, is an organisation constantly working to bring about the downfall of all the Enclaves and Kingdoms. They ferment unrest and chaos, and manipulate hundreds from the shadows so that their cause might be advanced." An unfamiliar passion took hold of Yasmin as she spoke, one of disgust and hate. He had spent enough time with her to recognise all three emotions, yet this cold passion was startling even to Faen. "In fact, these creatures are willing to use the Grimm as a tool to create the destruction they revel in, and have used them to kill off settlements and persons who might pose them a threat."

A war with secret organisation, one bent on the annihilation of the civilisation, was the reason why he had been forced to put up with Yasmin as a teammate? He had many questions, and there was no doubt Yasmin had much more to tell him.

The passion in her voice, if it was not feigned, he felt needed further investigation to understand. Only when the two fought each other in a spar, or when she was talking about either her Elf or Dracon heritage, did Yasmin express more emotion than now. Of course, the thought of people actually seeking to destroy civilisation was despicable, as well as a sign of insanity in those who somehow supported such a deranged idea. That it brought such emotions out of Yasmin was all the more intriguing to Faen.

He had his ideas on why, and most was not because of any concern she shared for those of the 'lesser species.' This was Yasmin after all.

Interesting though all this might be to him, Yasmin had yet to answer the important questions he had been asking her. In case the Elf-Dracon had forgotten, or was simply drawing things out to put off telling Faen what he wanted for as long as possible, Faen decided to remind her why they were here. He had been more than patient with Yasmin, and the Elf really did not want to be any longer.

"Fascinating, truly it is, but tell me how does all of that relate to our arrangement?" Faen now asked Yasmin, allowing a hint of his growing impatience to show in the tone he used. She did not take that well, he could see it in the way Yasmin frowned at him, yet she carried on with her explanation. Hopefully getting straight to the point this time.

"You know I am to 'work' here, to act as a reserve member of your team, and run certain errands on behalf of Ozpin. While here, _you_ are to watch over me, and ensure that I do not... 'behave in a manner that would disturb the education of other students.'" The Elf sat back on the chair as Yasmin listed the portions of the arrangement with Ozpin that he had been privy to, actually quoting the Headmaster on his side of the arrangement. Now to see if Yasmin would finally tell him the portions that he had been left in the dark about. "What you do not know is that I am to act as a guard for Beacon's CCTS Tower, and the full nature of my excursions outside Beacon."

Yes, after having been informed that Yasmin would be staying in Beacon, and that he was to be her 'caretaker', Faen was then dismissed from the office and wait for Yasmin as she had matters to discuss with Ozpin alone. What might have been said between the two had been eating away at him since that fateful day, and perhaps now it would stop.

That she was to guard Beacon's CCTS Tower made sense, and was quite obvious if one thought about it, for their construction in locations where the finest warriors on Remnant were being trained made them nearly or just as well-guarded as a fortress. So this revelation was nothing at all earth-shattering, it would be the reasons for Yasmin's outings that might truly surprise him. She had explained that after she graduated from Sentry, the Elf-Dracon left home and acted as a vigilante of sorts. Perhaps that little soiree in the wilds outside the Kingdoms and Enclaves might play into why Ozpin sent outside of Beacon.

Yasmin shifted her position on her bed, crossing her legs and planting a hand on its surface for support as she leaned back a little. She then tilted her head and eyed the door, definitely to make sure no one was listening in on them before uttering another word. He could not sense anyone outside the door, so it was safe to continue, a conclusion Yasmin also reached.

"If you wished to destroy civilisation as we know it, would the CCTS be among your first targets?" Yasmin asked him, though, judging by her tone she had been speaking rhetorically. So he kept silent, and allowed Yasmin to keep speaking. "Officially, the Grimm have destroyed several of the system's support towers since the system was erected. Unofficially, a few fell due to deliberate sabotage, and entire settlements have been isolated and destroyed because of the loss of their CCTS Tower."

"When the Headmaster sends me out of Beacon, he does so because he believes I might find or do something useful for the cause. And useful I have most certainly been even before I came to Beacon," Yasmin remarked with a touch of pride in her voice, moving on from the CCTS. "I scout, I hunt, and I track what my side, the Order, believes to be of importance. Locations where the Enemy hide, none can hide for long from me. Agents who will bring about the next calamity are removed from the face of Remnant. Lost persons the Order requires for future plans, they will be found and returned to the fold. As you can see, I do not spend my time being idle as a Halfling after their second supper."

Done speaking, Yasmin went silent and waited for what he had to say, an expectant look set on her face. What she wanted or thought Faen might say was unknown to the Elf, and did not concern him at this moment.

What concerned Faen was what Yasmin had told him a couple seconds ago. In the event that what Yasmin had told him happened to be true, and without any falsehood or exaggeration, Faen might have gotten into matters that he never intended to, again. Not only that, but more questions now plagued Faen's mind, and, for a brief instant, the Elf wondered whether he were better off having not given into his curiosity. A brief instant, for Faen quickly quashed such an idea before it could properly take root in his mind.

He had done this for more than knowledge, and more than just himself. With how deep he had gotten himself into whatever this was, regret was pointless.

"This is... concerning, yes, very concerning. How is it you became a part of this 'war'? What of your side in this secret conflict?" He held back adding a comment that expressed his doubts, though Faen was certain Yasmin already sensed and expected him to have them. Anyone would if they heard what Yasmin was telling him so far.

"The Order. It is a _very_ old secret society created by Humans, and devoted to safeguarding Remnant for centuries. From what I know, they aided in establishing the Enclaves, and helped maintain our isolation from the rest of the world." Now that was certainly an eyebrow raiser, and it took a considerable amount of willpower to contain his disbelief at the notion. "They closely watch those who they deem suitable for induction, and slowly mold them until they are ready to join the Order. I was... an exception, for I learnt of the Order by pure accident, and they forced me to join them as a way to ensure my silence."

"How is it you came to discover this secret society by 'pure accident'? And might I add, all of this becomes even crazier with each sentence that passes your lips." The Elf had been unable to restrain himself anymore, and finally made his scepticism known. In response, Yasmin returned his doubts with an amused snort.

"I had been wondering when you would finally say that, or something along those lines anyway. Still, it was from the High Mentor of Sentry I learnt of all I knew. They are a member of the Order, and has been recommending to them students who show the potential to be future members for years." "I was caught looking through files detailing as such, and was 'invited' to join once they finished interrogating me on what I knew. When my time in Sentry ended, I was supposed to come to Beacon, but I decided to strike out on my own for a while. To something on my own before the Order wrapped me a shorter leash on me, or put me in a cage so to speak."

Faen steepled his hands and pressed them against his lips in a thoughtful manner. Her reasons for journeying through the wilds was unsatisfactory to him, and that there must be more to it. If he were a member of this 'Order', he would have never allowed an asset such as Yasmin out of his sight for too long. Perhaps, in contrast to Yasmin's own beliefs, they had let her loose into the world while making her believe she left on her own volition.

He was unsure of what to think. All of what Yasmin had told him was unusual, even far-fetched if the Elf had to be honest with himself. In the end, Faen let out a deep exhale and moved to the next train of thought, which would probably not improve things for him at all.

Why so? Because it regarded the High Mentor of Vigil Martial School, Chiron Byzantine.

When Yasmin mentioned Sentry's High Mentor, the equivalent of a Headmaster, was a member of this enigmatic Order, Faen began to contemplate whether his own was too. The old Centaur had been a good teacher, and made many attempts to put an end to Faen's reticent attitude, as well as aid the Elf in better controlling his Semblance. Ultimately, he had not been successful in the first goal and partially for the second. Be that as it may, the Elf came to like and respect the High Mentor through their interactions.

After all those claims Yasmin had made, Faen was left wondering if there had been more to High Mentor Chiron's concern for him than just seeing a student reach their full potential. The same went for all others who had attended Vigil, but the only one he cared for was Grey. It was difficult to imagine, for Chiron was the most honourable and morally upstanding person Faen knew, but the possibility that this image was false now shadowed his thoughts of the Centaur.

"Tell me, you found files with such information just lying around somewhere? I find that hard to believe," Faen questioned as he leaned forward rubbed his shut eyelids. He needed a diversion, and this had been the first that came to his mind.

"The files were not lying around just anywhere, Faen. I thought you more intelligent than that," Yasmin remarked. "Truth is, I snuck into my High Mentor's office and stumbled across them when searching through their computer's files."

Ignoring the jab Yasmin made at him, Faen looked up and stared at Yasmin and opened his mouth to comment on her apparently delinquent behaviour, but nothing except a low croak escaped his lips. He wanted to know why exactly the Elf-Dracon thought to sneak a peek into her High Mentor's office computer, yet he ultimately decided against it. The question was meant to be a distraction, and there was already enough information he was going through right now, and he was unsure how much of it was in fact true.

"Very hard to process, is it not? I swear to you, on the last five generations of my family, that all I have told you is the truth." The Elf-Dracon, unlike himself, remained largely cool and composed. He could not discern if the oath she had taken was a serious attempt to convince Faen she had spoken true, or a method to mislead him.

"What is the name of this... organisation? The one you and this 'Order' have been battling against?" These were the last two questions that now rang through Faen's mind, or at least, the ones Faen felt any strength to pose to Yasmin. At this request, Yasmin took a deep breath before answering and eyed the door intently before she answered him.

"Salem."

* * *

 **Before people jump to conclusions, Faen will not know the full truth of the Order and Salem yet. Yasmin herself does not know, but they will discover the truth together with the others much, much later on.**

 **Our main characters will now begin to be slowly embroiled in the secret war for Remnant's existence, even if they will not know it.**

 **I will see you all when I next see you.**

 **References:**

 **Mūmiya \- This Demi-Human is based on Egyptian Mummies. The name I used being the Medieval Arabic word which meant 'embalmed corpse', which was borrowed to make the Latin word _mumia_ that was used to create the English word _Mummy._ Or so Wikipedia says anyway. Anyways, though Mummies may not exactly be mythical entities, I just wanted to include them here in one way or another.**

 **Chiron Byzantine \- Within Greek Mythology, Chiron is a legendary Centaur who tutored pretty much every famous Greek hero. Such as Achilles, Odysseus, Theseus, and Heracles in some versions. I thought it would be fitting for him to be the High Mentor of a school meant to train future warriors. 'Chiron' means something like wisdom, and, since wisdom is apparently associated with purple, I chose the shade of purple called 'Byzantine' to be his surname.**

* * *

 **Omake - Weiss Bullshit RNG Luck**

Sat round a table in Professor Oobleck's lecture room, Friesian's Dark Path's party carried on with the latest round of misadventures they had gotten into. This time, however, Weiss was sat with them, and the level of luck she had could only be described as astronomically bullshit.

The sheer number of good dice rolls she pulled out of her ponytail left everyone, even Professor Oobleck, dumbfounded. For example, they had a magical lock that needed to be picked open, and everyone who tried had rolled terrible numbers. Weiss, whose character did not specialise in lockpicking, rolled a natural twenty and opened on her first try.

This was Weiss' first time playing Dark Paths with them all, but she had proven to have ungodly levels of luck. Friesian went so far as to check whether Weiss tampered with the dice when she rolled them, but nothing could be seen. Even when Professor Oobleck brought in some new dice, the results were almost always the same with her. The good rolls fell like rain for the Schnee Heiress, while everyone else got mired in ones and twos half the time they picked up the dice.

Now, having successfully slain a gang of Goblin bandits and found their treasure hoard, the party got down to shifting through the newly liberated goods they could loot for themselves.

In the Goblin treasure hoard they found a magical gold compass that could discern the truth, but only for those who knew how to use it. This item was the objective of a quest they picked up from a 'Lady Silvertongue'. Other than that, there was a good amount of coin that could fill half of a large chest, a few valuable trinkets that could be sold to merchants, weapons of mediocre to high-quality make, and one other item. The last item they found in the hoard was the least impressive in appearance, yet the most potent of all things the adventurers could have discovered.

Friesian described the item to look like a normal box of tarot cards, though there was hardly anything normal about the cards. In truth, the box contained the 'Cards of Untold Things'.

Long had the Dullahan wished to give this infamous deck of cards to his adventuring party, and he had guessed this session would be the perfect occasion to do just that. The cards could confer a wide variety of benefits or disadvantages to a player who drew from it; there was even a good chance a player could be killed from picking up the wrong card. When the Dullahan explained all that to his adventuring party, there was no way one could not notice the nervous glances they all gave to each other.

And who was the unfortunate soul that had picked up the Cards of Untold Things? Weiss, that was who.

On one hand, Weiss picking up the Cards of Untold Things was a good thing. For, as the newbie playing her first session, she did not have too much to lose when compared to the rest who had been playing for about six sessions now. On the other hand, Weiss picking the cards up might just be the single most game-breaking thing that could have happened to the party.

"Now, Weiss, I want you to roll your dice to decide what card you will draw." The group's Gamemaster finally said after a long minute spent considering whether he made the right life choices. Everyone was tense right now; even Professor Oobleck who was currently pretending to mark the same piece of homework he had been holding for the last two minutes, for the fate of the entire adventuring party could be decided by Weiss right now.

Fully aware of what was at stake should she roll the wrong number, Weiss went ahead and threw the twenty sided die in her hand. With bated breath, everyone watched as the die clattered against the table's wooden surface and then stopped. What number did it land on?

The number thirteen.

"Um, I rolled... a thirteen... Is that good or bad?" Weiss almost mumbled as she did her best to remain calm and collected, doing best to ignore the possibility that she might have just killed all of her friends' characters.

"Lemme see," Friesian replied as he opened up his Gamemaster guide with one hand, while the other wiped a bead of sweat of his head's forehead. That she rolled the number thirteen had nearly given a few of them a heart attack, whether it was truly an ill omen would be decided by the game's rules. "The number for this die... combined with your race and alignment. It says here... the feck?!"

All at the table audibly gulped, for Friesian swearing was in no way a good sign. What made things worse was the visible disbelief on his head's face. What was it that Weiss had just done?

Had she caused all of their magical items to disappear forever?

Would one of them sudden go crazy and start attacking the rest of the party?

Did she summon an eldritch horror that would they would be forced to fight here and now or, even worse, give their souls to one?

Grey had both hands on the table, her claws digging into the wood. Akagi was holding onto one of her tails as though it were a lifeline, and she a sailor in the middle of a stormy sea. Jaune was constantly rubbing his sweaty palms against his trousers. Pyrrha had both of her hands covering her mouth. Ren was holding Nora down, who looked about ready to explode from all the nervous anticipation building up inside her. And Weiss stared at the die she rolled, her mind raked by all the possible things that die had just done.

"What is it?" Jaune finally asked Friesian, unable to bear the silence any longer.

Friesian did not immediately answer; only move his head from the die Weiss had rolled to the pages of his guidebook. The disbelief on his face having hardly shaken off since it first appeared.

At last, with a heavy sigh, Friesian's body threw his guidebook down onto the table and covered his head's face. His actions only rose the group's concern to even greater heights, with Ren barely able to contain Nora, who had started to thrash around like crazy. It took a few more moments before the Dullahan finally got around to saying anything, but when he did, there was a sound of frustrated resignation in his voice.

"Weiss' character rose up seven levels, and now has access to her Paragon-level spells and abilities." Friesian sighed, retracted his hands from his face and lightly pounded the table with a clenched fist. It had not been as terrible as most had initially thought but it was still a pile of crap to some at the table. For though the card Weiss' character drew did not destroy the party or cause them to lose their souls, Weiss had just become the most overpowered member of their group on her first session of Dark Paths.

It took a moment for Weiss to process all the information that Friesian had just revealed and the potential consequences of it, and when she did, something must have clicked inside of her. For what she said next was most surprising.

"Muhahaha. Among you now stands a queen, one as beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the snow upon the mountain! Dreadful as the storm and the lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!" Weiss maniacally laughed to herself as she shot up to her feet.

In the midst of the Schnee's display of power-madness, everyone sat at the table did the same the Dullahan, and expressed their frustration in one way or another. The RNG Gods had been pretty biased towards Weiss tonight, and half of the players no longer felt like playing anymore if things were going to carry on this way. It was as one, though they did not know it, that all of the others gathered in Oobleck's classroom said six words that surmised their current feelings in their heads.

Six words that carried the full weight of their astonishment and frustration. Six simple words.

 _'This is a pile of bullshit.'_


	19. Precision and Speed

**Author's Note:**

 **Here we are another chapter completed.**

 **Allow me to apologise in advance if you find there to be not much action going on in this chapter. This, and the next few chapters, will be the sort of 'calm before the storm' chapters. I will do my best to fit in some action and other stuff that could make these chapters excited, but, for now, please enjoy what I have done here.**

 **With that out of the way, carry on dear reader.**

* * *

 **Precision and Speed**

Professor Taupe stood in one of the sparring rooms, before her were several students, from Beacon and the other Academies. They were all gathered together for one of her rarely performed lessons. The sparring room being the chosen locale for the lesson because it better suited the more practical nature of the class, with its spacious interior helpful for what she had planned.

The professor never got many opportunities to teach _her_ lessons, with all the classes she had to cover or assist with, the counselling of students, and even missions out in the field. To finally get a chance to do this was refreshing.

Some of the teams present were upperclassmen who had already attended her classes, as well as teams of exchange students who wanted to try Taupe's lessons out. Also in this lesson, the first of this semester in fact, teams of Beacon first-years were included as well. Teams of first-year students had volunteered to attend during the first semester, but only now were they allowed participate. Not because Taupe did not want them in the class, but because the other professors disagreed with their inclusion while those students were still coming to grips with living in Beacon. Once the first-years had acclimated to studying in Beacon, as the other professors stated, only then could Taupe let them in her lessons.

First-year students used to be allowed into her classes from the beginning of their time at Beacon, but Taupe guessed after what happened last year, the decision was somewhat sound. Hell, they had to cut all of the professors' pay to help pay for the property damage the incident had done to the Academy.

Who would have guessed Ursa-type Grimm went into near berserk state when in the presence of honey of all things?

The past aside, there was a class of teens that needed teaching, and they sure as hell would not teach themselves. So, once the clock reached 4 pm, the Gorgon got to work.

"Afternoon students. Welcome back to those who have attended my lessons before, and good luck to those who are joining us for the first time. You will need it if you wish to remain in this class," Taupe said to all those gathered in the room. From behind her mask she scanned each and every one of them as she carried on. "For our friends from abroad, I hope this lesson will be as instructive to you as it would be to your fellows here in Beacon."

At her words, the students exchanged looks and words of greeting; some even went so far as to shake hands. At least they were all being civil.

"I am sure all of you are all aware of the benefits your Aura confers, and, hopefully, have honed the various ways it can be used. From augmenting your physical abilities, to the efficacy of how you use your Semblance. However, to become Huntsmen and Huntresses, there are far more than those you must learn. Traits and skills that will help you survive. For this class, I shall put you all through an exercise that tests your ability to use two of the most crucial a Huntsman needs. Precision and speed." As the Gorgon made her speech, she could practically see the cogs in their heads turning as they attempted to predict what she had in mind for them in this lesson.

"While strength and control of your Semblances are important for your future careers as Huntsmen, a balanced utilisation of precision and speed are qualities all Huntsmen must endeavour above all else to master. For you will regularly encounter scenarios where their application is necessary." The students appeared to heed what she was saying, but Taupe wanted to know if they, the first-years in particular, fully understood. Thankfully, the Gorgon had an exercise to test just that. "Miss Doronlas, would you kindly set the dummies up for me?"

Stepping from her place off to the side, Yasmin, Taupe's unofficial assistant, strode out to the centre of the room. With her she carried several training dummies, eight of which had a Beowulf face printed onto their head, while three other dummies lacked any.

She carried herself in the usual pride she always did, but Taupe knew she disliked carrying out what the Gorgon asked of her. Especially if it meant she had to carry out tedious tasks such as this in front of others. Whether she liked it or not did not overly concern Taupe, as it was part of Yasmin's job here in Beacon, and she did not have much choice except follow Taupe's orders.

"Normally I would have you all practise with _live_ Grimm, unfortunately, Professor Port has yet to restock my supply. So, we will be substituting them with these dummies for the time being." Many of the newer students in the class raise a brow, as keeping Grimm was a risky business, and few dared to try their hand at capturing them. That she intended to bring some here may have raised some alarm bells in the heads of a few, but it did not seem to trouble her students too much.

While the Gorgon spoke, the Elf-Dracon began arranging the training dummies so that the eight 'Beowulf' dummies surrounded the three regular ones. A fairly typical scenario Huntsmen could come across, and one they were duty-bound to intervene in.

"The task I have for you all is to see how quickly, as a team, you are able to eliminate all eight of these 'Beowulf' test dummies without harming the three 'civilians' they have trapped. To add more of a challenge, you must do so in less than thirty seconds, and only one of you is allowed to use your Semblance." Again, the students began to murmur among themselves after hearing the task she had issued to them all. The smart ones in their number were probably talking strategy, but those layabouts in the class were probably wasting their time. "If I see more than one of you using your Semblance, your entire team will be kicked out of this class faster than you can say 'Vytal.'"

As soon as Taupe was finished explaining the students' task to them, Yasmin had also finished setting up the training dummies. Once she had finished, the Elf-Dracon, with no small amount of whispered complaining, walked to a previously assigned spot approximately ten metres from the dummies she had set up. With a roll of tape, the Elf-Dracon created a simple starting line for the students to stand behind, and returned to her original spot once she was done.

Taupe ignored Yasmin's grumblings, and began getting the various teams to one by one try their luck at her task. Timing how long it took each team with a stopwatch.

For every team that she called forward, Taupe watched them all closely as they strategized and executed what plan they came up with to overcome her challenge. Honestly, thirty seconds was more than enough time for the students, and she gave them no limit to how long they could plan their approach. In the end, every team proved capable of accomplishing the assigned task, some more admirably than others. Almost all had used their Aura to boost themselves to the dummies from the starting position, shot at the dummies if they had weapons that could achieve the same desired result, or used one of their team members' Semblances to aid them.

Generally, the more experienced and coordinated teams of upperclassmen were able to handle Taupe's task well. Most were able to formulate a strategy in a matter of seconds and pull it off without a single hiccup. The first-year students took notes from the teams of upperclassmen who came before them, and tried to tackle it in their own way, though they spent a bit more time planning than their older peers. They too did well, but, in Taupe's honest opinion, were trying too hard to look flashy and stylish, taking away from their overall efficiency.

Underneath her mask, Taupe frowned at what they appeared to have been doing. She could tolerate her students' wish to appear stylish, particularly in the younger ones, but she always hoped they grew out of it fast. Most did, yet some retained this trait like a hoarder who refuses to get rid of a rusty, ten-year old spoon.

Still, the students had done as she told them to, so they deserved a bit of praise. Not that the Gorgon was about to act any softer with them, nor had their training with the dummies been concluded.

"Very good. Do not be too quick to congratulate yourselves, however, for often the time you have on the field shall be extremely limited. To demonstrate this fact, let us raise the stakes a little. Miss Doronlas, if you please." Taupe nodded to Yasmin, who walked up to the dummies and rearranged their positions. This time, the Beowolves were grouped together behind the civilians. "This time, you will have only _ten_ seconds to eliminate the 'Beowulf' dummies. Your planning time shall be reduced to the same number of seconds as well."

"'Ten seconds'?!" One of the first-year students exclaimed, shocked by how much she had reduced the time available to them.

"In the field you will have even less time to strategise and act, especially if you are in the middle of a Grimm attack on a village. That is if you are lucky, for there will be occasions where you will have no time to do either. Giving you ten seconds to plan and act is me being generous," Taupe countered the student. "Also note that you must do so without harming any of the civilian dummies. Do so, and I will have you working with the support staff in cleaning the locker rooms' toilets and showers."

When she finished that last sentence, the first-years and exchange students sent unsure looks at her then each other, as though asking if she had been serious with that threat. Taupe most certainly was, and only when they noticed how the students who had been to her classes before stood straighter, and had a look as though they were experiencing a flashback of some sort, that the new students realised the seriousness of their situation.

At first, threats such as these had been just that, threats. Only during her second year of teaching did the Gorgon follow through with them, and discovered them to be a strong incentive for her students to do as they were told. Of course, Taupe never had them do something that would get her into trouble, and only had students help with cleaning Beacon's various facilities.

Some questioned whether she was allowed to dish out such punishments, but the Headmaster himself had permitted her to do this. So, any students who thought to cross the Gorgon had more to worry about than being paralysed on the spot.

Returning back to the lesson being taught, the students performed well enough in this new challenge she created for the students. The more experienced in the students' number glided through it, more or less. Younger teams were the same, but not to the same extent as their older peers. A few still tried to appear cool as they completed the task, but that only did more to hinder their performance, and earned them and their team several hours of picking hair out of the shower drains. She could already imagine their faces as they performed such thankless tasks.

With hope, that might shake such a wasteful and potentially dangerous habit out of them.

Once all of the teams had tried their hands at this variant of her exercise, Taupe decided to move onto the third challenge she had in mind. Compared to the previous two it would be far more complicated.

"Superb work students, Miss Doronlas, set up the next group of test dummies." Again, and letting out the most audible groan of dissatisfaction with her role, Yasmin took four more training dummies from the side and put them into position. This time, instead of having all the dummies gathered in one spot, they were spread out and put further away from the starting point.

The civilian dummies were separated and made to stand on their own, before Yasmin then moved the Beowolves around them as she done before. Four were behind the one civilian that remained ten metres from the start point, five circled another that was twelve metres away, and three surrounded the last civilian at fifteen metres. Just like the other two challenges, this too was a fairly typical scenario Huntsmen encounter, and she wanted to see how each of the teams would handle it.

"In this scenario, the time you will have to eliminate the Beowulf dummies shall only be _five_ seconds, and no time at all to plan your attack beforehand."

Taupe's declaration, and the new arrangement of the dummies, got the students hurriedly whispering amongst themselves. From what she could overhear, some were trying to plan out what they were going to do while they still had a chance. Despite the harder challenge, her students rose up to face it.

Repeating the same process from the previous challenges the Gorgon had her students undertake, the teams of students stood behind the starting point and tried their best to successfully complete the exercise. There was no pattern or particular sequence that determined which teams she chose to step forward. She picked them out randomly, and ushered them to the starting point to minimise the time they had to talk to each other.

The more time-sensitive status of this challenge resulted in the students slipping up, making mistakes. Less coordinated teams struggled with this challenge, with one team having two of its members colliding into each other and causing them to fail the challenge. Those teams who had whispered to one another when Taupe announced the time they had fared only slightly better, but made mistakes like everyone else. Some of the students, those who had trained hard together and been on field missions several times before, were the only ones Taupe could say excelled here.

Midway through all the teams in her class, Taupe called forward the last of the first-year Beacon teams, and one she had taken a particular interest in. Team FFOG.

She had resolved many weeks ago to watch over this particular team's development, much like how the Headmaster was doing to Team RWBY, and was keen to witness how they tackled this variant of her exercise. In the last two challenges, FFOG had done well and been efficient, but they did not perform exceptionally. Truth was, they only did marginally better than the other first-year students. Perhaps, Taupe hoped, this challenge would tease out that potential she saw in the team.

If things did not turn out as she desired it would, maybe the exercise she had planned for next lesson would pull it off. With all that was going on, there was no way of telling when she would get to teach again, though.

As the team walked over to the starting point, Taupe could see their team leader whispering and pointing a finger to each other member of his team. From what Taupe could see and hear, the Elf did not say much, but his teammates diligently listened to him, and nodded once as he finished speaking.

Taking up positions behind the starting line, Faen, Friesian, and Akagi drew their weapons, yet Grey did not pull any of her claw-blades out from her sheathes or even unfold her gauntlets into their combat mode. Instead, the Werewolf stood five paces behind her teammates and took up a ready position. The professor was curious of what it was FFOG had planned, and readied the stopwatch in her hand.

"Begin!" Taupe yelled, her finger pressing on the button of her stopwatch, starting the five seconds FFOG had to succeed. Not a second after the gorgon yelled for the team of Demi-Humans to start, the Elf, Dullahan, and Kitsune did a most surprising thing. They jumped into the air.

It was confusing at first, since they had not jumped to any particular direction, but all was made clear very quickly.

A strong gust of wind suddenly rose up behind the three students, impossible within the confines of this room, but very much possible with the presence of someone such as Grey Ulric. Before the three other members of FFOG began to fall back to the floor, the howl of wolf was heard, and the wind skyrocketed in strength. So strong was the wind that it had become powerful enough to throw Grey's teammates at the training dummies, but was brief enough that did not affect the dummies themselves.

Once they had been thrust forward, the other members of FFOG raised their weapons and prepared to strike. All according to the team's plan, the professor assumed.

Akagi had been blown in the direction of the largest gathering, and rapidly fired shots from her twin pistols at the five targets. Each blank the Kitsune fired from her two weapons hit, and not a single one so much as grazed the 'civilian' dummy. She almost smacked right into the dummy she was supposed to protect, but nimbly avoided it in time.

Friesian had drawn Tenebrous Mantle in its sword-whip form, and, with a single sweeping lash of the bladed cord, struck down three of the four Beowolf dummies stood ten metres from the starting point. To take care of the fourth, the Dullahan made the interesting choice of punching it square in the face as he was about to collide with it. For a moment, it looked as though a few of the blades might graze or even hit the head of the 'civilian', but as luck would have it, the blade passed right over it.

Faen, who had drawn out his dao and second sword in its spear-form, dispatched the three farthest from the starting point. He was able to strike one in the eye with a bolt from his wrist-bow, speared the second through its chest with Aglar, and slashed at the neck of the third target with Gwaedh. The Elf, much like his two teammates, nearly hit the civilian dummy when sweeping his spear into position after using the same arm wielding it to fire a bolt.

The Gorgon stopped the stopwatch when all the training dummies fell, and checked the time that Team FFOG had done all that in. Much to Taupe's satisfaction, FFOG had completed the exercise in the required time, though they had been close to failing by a few milliseconds.

Apart from that, and the close calls they had, Taupe could say without a doubt that Team FFOG as a whole performed impressively, and proven why she wanted them in this class.

Quite a few of the other students in the sparring room shared her sentiments, and applauded the team of Demi-Humans for the way they had dispatched the Beowolf dummies. The professor abstained from joining them, as she had with the other teams, so to prevent any notions that she favoured Team FFOG from arising. Certainly she wished to see FFOG grow as a team and Huntsmen, but never would the Gorgon say she favoured them somehow.

For now, the Gorgon contented herself with knowing she had made the right decision with FFOG, and carried on teaching the class.

* * *

Team FFOG emerged from the sparring room with all the others who had been in their class, several conversations going on all at once. The four Demi-humans waited until they had gone a short distance away from the rest of the students, before they began one of their own.

"Gosh, that was quite the lesson. Kind of wish we could have trained against live Grimm like the professor said, but hey, it was cool as it was." Friesian stated as he stretched his arms. If his head were connected to his body by a neck, he would most likely be rolling it right now. "I actually had doubts, but I am actually glad you signed us up for these classes with Professor Taupe, Faen."

"Yes, a wise decision indeed." Odori hummed in response as she strode with her hands behind her back, her five fox-tails swaying from side to side, and a soft smile on her face. Someone was happy.

Faen did not respond to them, and simply kept on walking forward. Truth was he had not intended for them to be partake in the Gorgon's lessons, but had agreed to it after Professor Taupe strongly advised he attend during his last counselling session with her. The decision to go appeared to have been a good one, as the exercise Professor Taupe put them through had been an adequate challenge for him and his team. One that was both physical and mental.

Also, to a lesser extent, watching Yasmin performing menial tasks had been entertaining for him.

The Elf's face fell slightly when his mind went to Yasmin, as it forced him to remember all they had spoken of a couple nights ago. He was still trying to determine the truth of all her claims, in as discreet a manner, but nowhere had he found so much as a hint of the 'Order' or 'Salem.' Searches on history books, and informational websites that detailed the beginning of the Demi-humans transition to the Enclaves yielded nothing at all. It only struck him yesterday afternoon that, if such an organisation with the powers Yasmin claimed did exist, then there would be no such information available.

None that was easy to acquire that is, but what could he do? He was only a student, that and the doubts he still held onto contributed to Faen's decision to stop searching for now. There would be a time for him to delve into these mysteries, yet now was not the time for it. Maybe after he graduated from Beacon.

At least the meditation he now practised thanks to Yasmin's encouragement and instruction was proving mildly helpful, so that day had not been too bad.

Deciding to clear his thoughts, Faen put Yasmin and the secrets she had revealed aside for now. Today, despite another run in with the Dwarf and his team, had been a good one. The weather was fair, the classes had been neither dull nor gruelling, and his classmates not _too_ annoying. Faen was unwilling to ruin it by dwelling on troublesome matters that may or may not be true at all.

"What's more, that was a damn sweet move you came up with for that third challenge, Faen. Got to admit, I'm not sure if anyone of us could have thought up of it." Friesian went on to praise Faen, causing the Elf to puff up his chest a little when he heard it. He devised it while brainstorming some combat strategies a while back, but today had been the first time he thought of trying it out; it was honestly a miracle the strategy had worked as smoothly as it had.

"Yeah. And you know what could make such a cool move even better? A sweet and catchy name for it, that's what!" Grey butted in, garnering a deep sigh from Faen.

He carried on walking and braced himself for all the ridiculous names his teammates would come up with. To his misfortune, it was a thing now for FFOG to think of a name for any new team strategy, or 'team-attack' as their comrades in RWBY and JNPR once put it. From the simplest tactic between partners, to the more complex anti-Hydra strategy they were still pouring hours into completing. There was no stopping them once they started, so Faen hunched his shoulders and focused on happy thoughts until they were done.

"How about ' _Steel of Wolves_ '?"

"No, no. We used that for that other team attack that we have, so that is a no go. Why not... ' _Hurricane of Blades_ '?"

"I got an idea, ' _Swift End!_ '"

"' _Rampant Storm!_ '"

"' _Lawnmower!_ '"

"' _Kamikaze!_ '"

Things would go on like this for a while, with each of Faen's teammates creating a name that was more over the top than the other. In time they would notice he had not contributed to this brainstorming session of theirs and drag him into it. When they did, his teammates would beg not for any suggestions he might have on the team strategy's name, but to side with the best name they had individually come up with. Faen just needed to wait until they finished, and pick the one that sounded the least ludicrous.

After they had spent the better part of three and a half minutes contemplating names for the new team strategy, Faen comrades had reached a decision, and, just as he had expected, now turned to him for the final verdict. This was going to be dumb, so dumb, but it was for the best that he choose here and quickly.

"Faen, Faen… are you listening?" Grey's voice called to him, one of her hands grabbing onto his shoulder and shaking it gently, but insistently at the same time.

"Yes, I am listening." The Elf lied, stopping in his tracks and turning to face his teammates. They were close to the dorms, and Faen would have much preferred it if they finished this conversation in their room rather than the outdoors where they could be overheard, but he guessed there was no way out of this.

"That's good, because now shall be the greatest test of our friendship. In all our lives no other conversation shall ever affect our relationship as much as what we are going to discuss here," Grey spoke in a grave tone. Rolling his eyes, the Elf crossed his arms and listened to what else Grey had to say, unconcerned by her claims. "Out of all the names we've come up with, which one sounds better? Mine, 'Rending Moonlight.'"

"Or mine, 'Stalwart Tide.'" Odori cooed after jumping to his side and came close enough to him that she could rub her cheek against his own. Sometimes the Kitsune could compete with Friesian in regards to the levels of weirdness she got up to.

"'The Feckin' End of Days!' That is the name I came up with, and I know you know it to be the absolute best out of them all." Friesian proudly boasted, fulfilling his usual role of creating the most preposterous sounding name when the team did this. As with all the previous times he had been made to put up with this, Faen felt the urge to cover his face with his hand after hearing Friesian's idea, but restrained himself.

When his teammates had finished telling him what names they had spent the better part of three and a half minutes thinking up, Faen spent thirty seconds controlling his breathing and shaking his head. All three names his teammates made were not bad when compared to the last time this happened, but he really did not care for any of them.

"So, what will it be Faen? Will you make... the right choice, and keep your best friend for life?" Grey said, attempting to use the underhanded technique of leveraging their friendship to get her way. Not often did she try this, thankfully, nor did she act on her threats to their friendship, but he was careful of the times she dared try it on him. Not out of fear of violence from Grey, but because she might decide to do something while he was asleep, like drawing a fake moustache on his face with a marker that he never noticed until midday for example.

"Please Grey, our dear team leader is far more intelligent than you believe him to be. Mine is the choice Faen will side with, because he knows it to be the smartest out of them all. This is meant to be a codeword, correct? Well, no one could possibly predict what we will do with a name like that," the Kitsune spoke. Using her favourite tactic of giving a reasonable arguement, while also slipping a bit of ego-stroking to convince Faen to side with her.

"Pfft, the two of you are insane with a capital 'I'. Faen and I are on the same level, yeah, and I know he will not make the right or smart choice, but the most bloody awesome choice. And that choice is undoubtably the name I made." The Dullahan declared, leaving everyone just standing there with puzzled looks on their faces. Truth be told, Faen wondered whether Friesian really believed some of the nonsense he spouted, or if it were just him messing around with his friends' heads.

Regardless of what he thought of his fellow teammate, Faen regarded the behaviour of his team with quiet disdain. Gods, they were all like children vying for a parent's attention and love with their dumb ideas and incessant pleading. He meant it in no disrespectful way towards his friends and companions; it was only the first comparison that came to mind.

Before his team got the chance to continue pressuring him into what name their new team strategy would be dubbed, Faen was saved, not by the bell, but by the arrival of a few friendly faces.

"My, it appears we came at an inopportune time." The white-haired Elf heard the voice of Reuel likely address his teammates not too far from where FFOG was standing. He had heard the approach of their footsteps, as well as the slithering of Amarantha's lower half against the pavement, and was glad they had run into each other.

"Ah, AMRT, glad to come across you lot." Faen welcomed his fellow Huntsmen-in-Training, using their arrival as an opportunity to get out of his current conversation. Striking up a new one might distract his own team from what they had been discussing, though he might be hoping for too much. "What is it you need of us? If that is the purpose behind this encounter."

 _"Namaste_ friends," Amarantha greeted Team FFOG. As the Naga spoke, she gracefully brought her hands together at her chest and bowed her head slightly in the traditional manner of those from southern Mistral. "We heard you went to that special, voluntary class Professor Taupe runs. Would it be alright with you lot to tell us what it was like?"

"Sure, why not?" Faen quickly said, immersing himself into this discussion with his fellow teammate. Not just because of his wish to dance around the one he had been in, but also because the Elf wished to see where the new one would take him.

What followed was FFOG giving their fellow Demi-humans a brief recounting of the things that transpired back at the sparring room, with each member of FFOG contributing their thoughts and impressions. They were intrigued by the exercise the professor had posed to the class, and were blown away by the strategy FFOG had used to succeed its third variant. Pun intended. In all seriousness, AMRT truly were amazed by the team strategy Faen seemingly devised on the spot, and congratulated them upon learning it had worked.

Now, as mentioned before, the Elf had not come up with it on the spot. Faen had the chance to correct his allies on that little detail, but he ultimately decided against such a decision, and took credit for what they had come to believe. Such a belief would make him sound more formidable to his friends and enemies, and Faen really liked that idea.

It was as FFOG got to detailing how Professor Taupe had them all do scenarios that focused more on individual performance that Faen espied three people walking in the distance. They were that Cinder girl from Haven, Emerald, who he discovered to be in the same team as her, and a Human male with silvery-grey hair also dressed in a Haven uniform. Mercury Black was that Human's name, and he just so happened to be a part of Cinder and Emerald's team. Faen had yet to run into their fourth member, but he was not going out of his way to find out who it could be, for he had better things to do instead.

Faen was unsure what to think of Mercury, as they had only conversed with one another only once before, and it had been an all too brief interaction to properly gauge his character. Mercury had bumped into Faen in-between classes and apologised for the incident, then buggered off after Faen accepted it. Nothing seemed off about the Human, yet Faen treated him with the same reservation he showed all who had not earned his trust.

"Sounds impressive. Hey Amarantha, think we too should sign up for these lessons with the professor? Might be fun," Faen heard Tora remark to his team leader. The Elf turned his attention back to conversation in time to see the Oni give Amarantha a couple nudges of his elbow to her arm, and great toothy smirk on his face.

"Maybe, but fun is not what we should focus on in classes. Our first real missions will be after the dance, and adding a few more training sessions with a veteran Huntress such as Professor Taupe in our regimen would not hurt our chances of success. It would be highly beneficial, in fact. Faen, do you know when Professor Taupe will next hold a lesson?" Amarantha questioned Faen after briefly voicing her thoughts on the idea.

"None, this is Taupe we are talking about. She is either helping out some other teacher, or out of Beacon hunting Grimm. We're lucky she had the time to run that class with all the things that are going on here," Faen honestly replied to Amarantha's inquiry. Such news was not upsetting to Team AMRT, for they too were aware of the professor's often rather busy schedule.

"That is certainly unfortunate. We shall have to consider this between ourselves later, and thank you telling us of it." The Naga nodded to him in understanding, her eyes telling him that she was seriously considering the idea. He would not argue if she decided to join them, as it would provide him and FFOG people they were on particularly good terms with to stand with during those classes. Good company, especially those one can trust, is welcome most of the time.

Their business apparently concluded, Faen made to bid AMRT farewell, and take his team off to their next venture. This whole conversation had taken them around ten minutes, so it should have been sufficient enough time for his team to forget about the team strategy's name for a short while at least. He was prevented from doing so, however, when Grey decided to speak up.

"Hey, before we go, mind telling us what plans you have for the Dance? It's in three days, and I was wondering what people intend to do during it."

Oh yes, the upcoming Beacon Dance.

Plenty of people had been looking forward to it, enthusiastically seeing it as an opportunity to let loose a bit and party, or so Faen overheard. Practically everyone at Beacon would be attending it, and most now had outfits meant specifically for that one night ready. Well, there was at least one person in Beacon who had their reservations about the dance, but would be forced to attend because screw what he thought or wanted. Yes, Faen had his doubts on whether the whole event would be enjoyable, yet would have to go nonetheless.

Not simply because he was being forced to by Grey and his teammates, his own parents encouraged him to go as well. They themselves never went to many dances or parties, but they insisted their son give the Beacon Dance a try at least, and had him swear to attend the darn thing during their last conversation over the Scroll. Having sworn to his own parents, Faen would have to go, but never did anyone say he had to be happy about it, nor that he was to dance.

While not wishing to talk about the approaching event, Faen allowed his team to speak of it with the others. After all, this was more time for the team strategy conversation to potentially disappear from their minds.

"It is a dance, is it not? I would assume dancing would be something we might do," Amarantha answered Grey's question. It might just be a sarcastic response, but the near emotionless manner with which the Naga typically spoke in betrayed no hint of how she intended they interpret her words. It might have been an attempt at humour, but not even Faen could tell if that was what Amarantha meant.

"Uh, right. Do you have anything specific you want to do there in mind? Any of you going with someone special?" Friesian finally said after a couple seconds spent in silence.

"Well... not really, but maybe Reuel does." Monica answered for her team this time after exchanging looks with her teammates, before settling all their eyes on the Angel in their midst. Said Angel awkwardly smiled and rubbed the back of his head for some reason, likely being the potential plans he had for the dance.

That was not much of a surprise, as Reuel was a great guy in both appearance and personality, and both qualities had made him well liked throughout Beacon. Without a doubt Reuel could approach anyone who even marginally liked him, and immediately receive a positive answer from said person. Not that Faen held it against Reuel or anything, for he had no wish to have that level or type of attention focused on him.

"Heh, Reuel here has been asked out by at least ten different girls now." Tora chuckled and slapped his hand on the Angel's shoulder, causing the latter's legs to buckle for a moment because of the weight and force behind the slap. When the members of FFOG heard what Tora had to say, they looked to each other then to Reuel, who wore an abashed look on his face for the first time Faen had known him.

"No way!" Odori exclaimed, voicing Team FFOG's collective thoughts of disbelief.

"I am afraid what Tora said is true," Reuel sighed. "Just this morning I was approached by an Atlesian girl in the cafeteria who proposed that I attend the dance with her during breakfast. Then, just before 2 pm, a girl from Shade came up to me and asked whether I was interested in attending the dance with her, rather bluntly might I add."

Dubious though the whole idea might be, no lie could be detected in Reuel's voice, nor was there anything resembling humour either. Looking over to the faces of the rest of AMRT showed they did not betray anything of the sort as well. If all this evidence was true, and this was not some coordinated attempt by AMRT to fool Team FFOG as part of some joke, then the Angel had truly been approached by _ten_ different girls for one single purpose. To ask him out to the Beacon Dance.

Gods, this sounded so absurd, Faen thought the entire idea fit more into works of fiction than reality. After all, this was the type of thing which happened in TV dramas, books, anime, and mediocre fanfictions. Not real-life.

"And?" Grey asked Reuel, breaking the silence that had dominated the air around them for the last several seconds.

"Pardon me?"

"What did you say to them?" The Werewolf went on to clarify, making all eyes return back to the Angel.

"I... neither accepted nor declined her proposal, as I did with all the others who asked me out." Reuel answered, prompting all present to perk their brows upwards in surprise and some confusion. None said anything though, and waited for Reuel to finish explaining himself. "I-It would be... improper of me to outright turn them all down after they mustered up the courage to ask me out, but to choose one over all the others would be a bad decision, too. Worse would be me choosing someone who never approached me about the dance. So, I am choosing to attend the dance alone because it is the only right decision I can possibly see."

Hearing the Angel's answer, all of FFOG just stood and stared at him. Faen was not sure what was running through his teammates' heads, but the Elf was pondering on whether he should praise Reuel's choice, or disagree with it.

Reuel was a great guy, and the devotion he had for his people's virtues of being good and doing good were very much admirable in Faen's honest opinion. Yet, there were times such as this that had the Elf wondering if that same virtuosity had its own drawbacks. The action the Angel had taken with this... unique situation he found himself in an example of that view. Most would have leapt at the opportunity Fate had given to Reuel, yet the Angel had chosen to more or less turn his back to it; a most intriguing choice.

Eyeing the others to assess how they had taken Reuel's explanation, the group seemed to be in the same boat as him.

"That is... good to know. What of the rest of you?" Faen decided to question the three other members of Team AMRT, to further distract his own teammates and so they could move on from Reuel's strange situation. They might even thank him for it.

"As with Reuel, I shall be attending the dance alone. Not that I mind," Amarantha replied to Faen after taking a moment to think on what to say. Noticeably, she put a hand on her snake-tail when she spoke up again. "Dancing will be out of the question as well, for my... physique would be disruptive for anyone else on the dance floor."

"Same here, though I'm more interested in what they'll be serving for food and drinks. Hope there's none of those puny cocktail sausages or weak-ass punch," Tora stuck out his tongue and mimicked a retching sound during that last sentence. Yes, Grey was not the only one in Beacon with a voracious appetite, which could be a pain at times to deal with during lunch or dinner.

"Um, I too will be going to the dance alone." Monica said in a gentle and somewhat nervous voice, focusing her eyes on her fidgeting hands than FFOG's faces when she spoke to them. "This is honestly the first dance I will be participating in, so I do not really know what I should do while there. Have you four got plans of your own for the dance?"

Faen had foreseen this question might be posed to them when he had AMRT what they would do at the dance, and guessed it was only right for his team to answer in return. Each member of FFOG already knew what the others had in mind for the dance, so, with hope, nothing startling would be revealed.

"Unlike these three jokers, I actually tried asking people out to the dance." Friesian stated as he pointed a thumb over to Faen, Odori, and Grey, though they just sent the Dullahan knowing looks, for the three were aware of how those attempts Friesian made had gone. "No one... uh... no one said agreed, sadly. Everyone I talked to about it seemed nervous or put off by me for some reason, so I guess it's coming to the dance alone for me too."

 _'Yeah, wonder why.'_ Faen sarcastically mused to himself while looking at the empty space where the Dullahan's neck and head would be if he were a different species. Evidently, all the time he had spent here at Beacon did nothing to make Friesian more aware of how strange and downright disturbing he appeared to some people. At this point, Faen had come to doubt whether Friesian would, however.

"My hope is to dance sometime during the festivities, but not with a chauffeur who leads me to the ballroom's entrance. All I want to do is enjoy myself without having to drag someone along because people think I should," Odori nonchalantly said, also admitting to her companionless status. Team AMRT should see the trend with them all by now, Faen certainly did, and should probably be able to predict what Grey and Faen would say.

"I'm just going to the dance for the free food, drink, and music. Screw everything else," Grey bluntly stated when it came to be her turn to tell what she would be up to. Perhaps the way Grey had spoken was a bit too frank, but it was true. Once more, her stomach would guide her through a social occasion, and there was no easy way of swaying her to think with anything else when that happened.

"Faen, you have yet to say anything. How about you?" Amarantha inquired with a curious tilt of her head, bringing everyone's attention to focus squarely on him now. He had been spending the last few seconds pondering on what he was to say, and now he had to say something.

Guessing that he had to, the Elf finally told the others what he had plans for the dance.

"I don't want to go, but I have no choice but to attend the dance." The Elf shot a narrow-eyed look at his teammates, who avoided his gaze or casually shrugged as though they did not know what he was talking about. With why he was going and the accompanying discontent made known, Faen then followed that information up with what he meant to do once at the ballroom. "I'll just stand in the corner, and watch as everyone else makes a fool of themselves on the dance floor. Not at the least bit fun, yet it shall be something to do while there."

"At least you will be going to this party this time. When Vigil held a leavers party after we graduated, he just bunkered down in our room and refused to leave." Grey remarked while lightly smacking the back of her hand on his arm.

"You know I don't do well at large social gatherings," he responded with a quick slap to Grey's hand just as she was going to smack him again. Theirs was a strange friendship indeed, or was this a thing normal friends did?

"Do I ever! The one time we went to someone else's birthday party together, I found you sat eating alone on the stairs."

The Elf crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes to send Grey a cold glare, again. Yes indeed, he had passed the time he spent at that birthday party his best friend mentioned on those stairs, yet, it had been completely his own choice to stay on them until he and Grey left. All other party-goers steered clear of him, and Grey had been off trying and failing to make new friends. So, what else was he to do?

Much like the Beacon Dance, he had not wished to go, but went on Grey's insistence that it would be a 'fun experience' for the both of them. That party was nothing like Grey said it would be, and they never went to another party held by that person again. Not that the two were ever invited to a lot of them anyway. Already not a person who much liked large gatherings, the whole affair did nothing but reinforce Faen's dislike of parties and other such events.

It was then Faen noticed the looks all the others were sending his way. To his great surprise, the looks he saw etched on their faces and in their eyes was that of pity.

Now Faen was accustomed to being the target of looks such as indifference, irritation, joy, and even hatred. Yet pity was one Faen had experienced the least, if ever. A strange thing it was to be pitied by others, and Faen wondered whether or not he preferred contempt and hatred over pity. For, as far as Faen saw things, pity was an emotion reserved for those you saw as weaker or lesser than oneself. That it was him being pitied left Faen conflicted, as their pity meant he was weak somehow, resulting in the Elf wishing for something to direct the others' attention away from him.

Fate, much to Faen's relief, decided to acquiesce to his wish, and give everyone something else to think about.

"You know, I never thought about this idea before, but why don't we all go to the dance together? Not as a group, I mean, but together in pairs!" Of all people, it was Friesian who was coming up with this idea. This one just so happened to be an interesting one, so everyone listened to him. "We have an equal amount of boys and girls here, so it could work. That way none of us needs to go to the ballroom alone and it will be with someone we know."

Considering the idea proposed by Friesian for a moment, Faen found himself agreeing it to be not a bad idea for his team to try out, but preferred to be left out of it. He was fine with going to the dance on his own, as well as spending the entire event in the same manner.

"Eh, it's not a bad idea, but it's only going to be to the entrance right? I don't want a partner who'll slow me down on my way to the food table, or pull me over for a dance while I'm eating." The Oni in their number said, voicing his own thoughts of Friesian's suggestion while he crossed his large arms over his chest.

"Same here. Sorry guys, but most of you would slow me down and waste the precious time I could devote to eating," Grey added to what Tora had to say. Whether the two had thought of it or not, Faen realised they had pointed out a problem with Friesian's idea, as they all had differing interests and plans for what they were to do during the Beacon Dance. So maybe the Dullahan's idea was not as great as Faen initially thought it would be.

"Then why don't you two go together? You two sprint as fast as gale force winds when the subject of food comes up, so being slowed down will not be too much of a problem." Friesian now suggested, making a good point that Faen was surprised he himself had not thought of.

Grey and Tora exchanged looks then, rather out of nowhere, huddled together to conspiratorily talk between themselves. What Faen could overhear left him sighing out of exasperation, for the two had begun to discuss potential 'vectors of approach' and the adequate ratio of food they could consume. He guessed this was what happened when you get two great food-lovers together, and did not wish to see what would occur if more than two were gathered in the same place. Putting up with one was hard enouh, living with one even harder, so more was a nightmare for Faen.

Still, a smart idea by Friesian to place Grey and Tora together. It made Faen wonder where the real Friesian was, as this was far too good of a plan for Friesian to have come up with. While Faen was mentally chuckling at his own joke, Friesian came up with another idea about their dance predicament.

"While you two go together, Monica and I could also go as a pair, too."

"Wait, you and me? A pair?" The Vampire immediately questioned Friesian, visibly taken aback by his decision, and most likely wondering how he came to it. Faen certainly was, and awaited the answer the Dullahan would give.

"Sure thing! I have been to plenty of parties before, and I can show you how to enjoy yourself at one, given how this is the first party you have been to. Trust me, it will be a fun experience for the both of us." Friesian replied, his tone becoming more optimistic and confident with each syllable he uttered. Again, not at all a bad suggestion and it might actually be as beneficial as the Dullahan believed it could be.

"Wow, Friesian, these are actually some good ideas you've come up with. Where is this version of you during History class with Oobleck?" Odori teasingly remarked, bringing up how abysmally Friesian performed during said class, prompting a chuckle from Faen.

The others let out amused chuckles with him, but they quickly did more than that. Faen's companions began to laugh, and laugh quite loudly and heartily too. At first, Friesian visibly took offence to both the joke and the mirth everyone else derived from it, yet he did not hold onto it for long. Not a few seconds later, the Dullahan also started to laugh with his friends. A very unlooked for reaction from someone who was being laughed at, yet, Faen had come to expect this sort of behaviour from him, sort of.

Strange people were those he counted in his circle of trust and friendship, but Faen guessed he too was strange if he associated himself with them. Deciding to embrace the peculiarity for a moment, he joined his companions in their laughter.

After all, even he knew life without a bit of laughter was no life at all.

* * *

Time flew by, and after the somewhat merry encounter with Team AMRT, Faen found himself stood in the common room of his area of the dorms. Plans for what both teams would do for the dance had been devised, and now all they needed to do was wait and finish up the last bits of preparation that required completing.

Once that was over and done with, the two teams of Demi-humans went off to the dorms together for dinner. The cafeteria offered some good food, but the group desired for something else for a change, and Odori was more than willing to provide. Which was why Faen stood here, a book in hand, and one eye watching the Kitsune as she prepared to marinate some salmon in a mix of soy sauce, lemon, sugar, and pepper.

That salmon had not been cheap, so it had better be as delicious as Odori swore it to be.

"Been quite the day, hasn't it?" Odori remarked as she stirred the mix in a small bowl with a spoon. The way she stirred the spoon around, and how he never once heard the scrape of metal against a ceramic surface, told Faen his partner had quite some experience in making this dish of hers.

"I cannot really say it has, but please, enlighten me on why you believe it to be?" Faen was doing his best to focus on the Kitsune rather than the sauce she was mixing together, which had a devilishly enticing aroma to it. He could only imagine how the salmon would smell once Odori fried the two together. Thank goodness it was only he and Odori in the room right now, for he knew one of them would be flooding the place with all the drool that would be pouring from their mouths.

"Oh you jest. Today was our first lesson with Professor Taupe, a splendid one it was too! I particularly enjoyed when she had... _us_ perform those exercises of hers." The momentary pause in Odori's speech left Faen guessing she had another reason to be happy about attending that specific lesson. And he had a fair guess what that other reason could be.

It had white hair, pointed ears, horns, and its first name rhymed with the word 'bin'.

"Is that so, well, I am glad you found today to be entertaining," he said while turning to a new page. The book was something he had picked up from the Academy's library, an old book with yellowed pages detailing numerous beliefs and theories held by various cultures and peoples regarding the Grimm. Not all that useful really, and it focused purely on the Human side of things, yet it was a fascinating read all the same. Strange were plenty of the steps they took to protect themselves from the Grimm, but he supposed it was it be expected of Humans.

"Yes, it may very well have been a perfect day, _if_ I had not received a message on my Scroll earlier. The message... came from my sisters." Odori let out a deep sigh as she set both the bowl and spoon down. Hearing his partner speak of her sisters, Faen began to cautiously regard her, for the sisters' last interaction was neither friendly nor expected by the Elf.

"Your sisters... for what reason did they message you? Not because they wish for us to join them for lunch sometime soon, do they?" He had set the book down on the kitchen counter to show Odori that she had his full attention. She in turn faced the Elf to show the same level of attention he paid her, but not before picking up the sharp kitchen knife set aside to cut the salmon, though.

Faen trusted Odori, but right now he felt incredibly uneasy about having her hold a sharp object while discussing her family. Trusting Odori would not try anything, he let her keep the knife. If her supposed sadism decided to flare up or whatever happened to those with it, the Elf was confident he could handle the Kitsune.

"No, the message said nothing of the sort. My _dear_ older sister, Hitomi will be arriving at Vale tomorrow morning, and shall have my dress for the Beacon Dance with her." There was no missing the way Odori rolled her eyes as she spat out the name of the oldest of her siblings. His partner's spite for her family did not concern Faen, it was how all this related to him that made him cautious of why they were talking about it. "Instead of simply spending some Lien in shipping my dress to Beacon, they want me to go and retrieve it personally."

Now there was the problem, it was clear as day what it was.

Both sisters interacting with each other, on their own at least, would not pan out well. Without a mediator to keep things from getting out of hand, things may actually turn ugly. More likely than not, his partner wanted him to accompany her as she went to meet Hitomi, it was the only possible reason Odori had for telling Faen any of this. If his presence meant a more peaceful meeting of the two siblings, then he guessed there was no choice.

Thinking of a good side to all of this, Faen guessed this would be a good opportunity to deepen the trust between him and Odori, and further some potentially useful connections. Being in the good graces of a future secretary to the Ten Ministers of Shangri-La might, as he contemplated many times before, prove beneficial.

"Huh, I see how this might be problematic for you," Faen nodded in an understanding fashion. He was being genuine, as Halvard brought out the same emotions Odori was feeling right now the moment he saw the Dwarf's stupid nose. "Do you need aid in this matter? I, and the others I'm sure, am more than willing to provide any, all you need do is ask us."

"Thank you, Faen, but for this I believe you alone should suffice," Odori graciously replied to his offer to involve the others. A shame, for introducing the other members of FFOG to Hitomi might have been helpful, somehow.

If that was going to be how things went, then Faen guessed he had no other choice than to shoulder the burden of keeping things relatively calm between the two Kitsunes on his own. He had managed to keep FFOG together and out of too much trouble thus far, so this should not be too hard. Besides, what was ensuring peace between two sisters with a less than warm relationship when compared to leading a Werewolf with a bottomless stomach, a Dullahan who acted pretty odd at time, and slightly mischievous Kitsune?

"Yes, you alone should suffice," his partner muttered, repeating herself she did. Looking down at the knife in her hand in a reflective manner, Odori ran her left hand's thumb and index finger along its edge, secretly unnerving Faen as he watched her, before looking back to him again. "This may be me asking too much of you, but I must ask... Will you... Could you go and see my sister in my stead?"

"What?" Faen blurted out before he could think. He was prepared to stand by his partner, not to stand in her place.

"Meeting Hitomi… ugh, you must know I cannot bear being near her. So, would it be alright if you took time out of your day tomorrow to pick up my dress, please?" The five-tailed Kitsune pleaded to him as she stared straight into his eyes, almost in a 'puppy-dog eyes' way, or whatever that Kingdomer expression was called.

Desiring a moment to mull over Odori's wish, Faen turned so he faced away from her, and quietly gazed at the wall opposite the kitchen counter. Making himself appear deep in thought would give him maybe a minute to collect his thoughts and think her request over before she started pressing him for an answer. To further the effect, and perhaps give him a bit more time, Faen touched his chin and stroke it gently.

The Kitsune was right in assuming she asked a lot from him, for not only did she want him to spend time and money on this errand of hers, she was also asking him to meet with a person he barely knew. A task all his teammates and acquaintances understood to be difficult for the Elf by now. Faen and Hitomi met before, that was true, but it was not a lengthy meeting which could make either of them count the other as friends or trusted associates.

The secret deal he made to Odori's sisters was one of convenience he had realised, for they saw him to be the one their sibling trusted the most. In no way did it make him and the sisters friends, at least with Hitomi and Sekai that might ring true. Goodness knows what the youngest, Megumi, thought of him.

"Faen? Have you thought it over? If you need proper motivation for doing this, I swear that, if you do this for me, I will give you half of my monthly allowance." Odori offered to Faen, interrupting his thoughts sooner than he hoped she would, but it was her proposed 'motivation' that caught him off-guard.

Half of her monthly allowance. Being the pseudo-aristocrat she was, the sum of money the Kitsune's mother lent Odori was not something to be scoffed at. He did not know the exact amount of Lien she received each month, but he estimated half to be equal his entire monthly allowance at the least

Faen's own parents could only send him fifty Lien a week to cover for food, school supplies, and other items, totalling around two-hundred Lien a month. It had been this way since Vigil. His parents claimed it was supposed to teach him money management and how to work with scarce amounts of resources. During their years at Vigil, he and Grey pooled their allowances together to afford certain items that they did not necessarily need but wanted.

"This is a tough choice you have put before me, Odori. Very, very tough," the Elf muttered while still continuing to stare at the wall and stroke his chin.

"I know it is, and I am begging you to consider it. Do you believe the Lien to be insufficient compensation for all the legwork you will do? If so, you can ask for anything else and I will give it to you. You have my word," Odori took a step his way as she tried to add another incentive for him to do what Odori wished not to. She still held onto the kitchen knife, and whether she was doing it on purpose or not, it really was unnerving to see Odori hold a knife so close to him.

Worse yet, Odori now held onto it in a reverse-grip, the way murderers in movies gripped them.

Getting a hold of himself, Faen began to deliberate over the task, the promised rewards, and how exactly this entire mess he got involved in might benefit him.

The substantial amount of Lien Odori said she would pay him would be a huge boon, and he could just save it all in his bank account until a situation called for its use. He would not ask for anything else, the Lien would be enough, besides, doing this errand for Odori would mean she owed him. Much like oaths, debts could be handy tools and useful tests of others trustworthiness. Poor form, maybe, to hold a debt over a friend, but the practical potential of it outweighed his ill feelings about it.

Another thing that only now struck Faen's mind was that he could have a chat with Hitomi in private, without fear of Odori walking in on them. His last conversation with the older sister was rushed because of it, but this was a perfect opportunity to learn more about Odori's life back in Shangri-La.

Having thought the task through, particularly both its ups and downs, Faen reckoned he could now give an answer to his partner's request.

"I... will do this for you."

Soon as those words were out of his mouth, Odori, to Faen's alarm, advanced purposefully towards him. Before Faen could defend himself, the Kitsune had raised both her arms, knife still in hand, and... hugged him tightly.

Surprised by the hug Odori had locked him in; Faen stifled a cry of alarm and resisted the urge to push her away. Odori may as well have stabbed Faen, for hugs were still something he found difficult to tolerate. He was still a socially awkward individual, despite of all the improvements he made in dealing with people, and wanted it to be over as soon as possible. Actually, why was there a feeling of something sharp pressing against his back?

"Thank you, Faen. Thank you," Odori whispered to him, almost sounding as though she were on the verge of tears. As important as this request might be to her, Faen doubted she would shed any, and if she did it would be an effort to cement his desire to help.

Taking a moment to consider what was causing that feeling on his back, he remembered the sharpened piece of kitchen equipment Odori had been holding all this time. It was also then that Faen noticed the familiar sensation of his Aura being slowly drained bit by bit. Putting two and two together, the Elf found another reason to end this hug, fast.

"Okay... Now can you please take the knife away from me? I think you're scraping the blade against me back!"

* * *

Elsewhere, in another part of Beacon's dorm blocks, three 'students' were gathered. One was lying lazily on his bed, hands resting beneath his head. A second was kneeling on the floor, waiting patiently for instructions or for something to happen. The third was flicking through pictures taken on her Scroll, spending a couple seconds on each one to memorise every single detail her eyes fell upon.

These people were Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, and Cinder Fall.

Since coming to Beacon, the three had been scouting out the entire Academy, as well as the numerous students that now attended it. They explored almost every hall, room, and corridor that they could. Attended as many classes to assess the strengths and weaknesses of all their 'peers'. And tried their best to not draw much attention to themselves. All for the sake of the plan.

The plan to see Beacon fall.

Every so often, Cinder would reach a hand up to her ears and scratch at them out of irritation for a moment, before swiftly retreating them once she noticed what she was doing. It was wrong for someone such as herself to be seen doing such a thing, and was quick to shoot a scathing gaze at the others if she caught them watching her. Mercury most of all, because that little goof could not help but find it amusing.

He was lucky that he was useful to her, or else Cinder would have put an end to the nuisance a long time ago.

"Ma'am, how are your ears? Are you still adjusting to them?" Emerald asked her leader, her voice filled with concern for Cinder. Though she may have meant well, her question did nothing but raise Cinder's ire.

"My ears are of no consequence or importance, now focus Emerald! What else have you come to learn?" Cinder kept her cool, but allowed a small ounce of her irritation to show. She was a smart girl, and Cinder had made sure to discipline Emerald enough for the girl to know when to never broach a subject again.

"Yes ma'am," Emerald hurriedly said as she bowed her head in a respectful and submissive manner to Cinder. Mercury let out a snort from where he was sat, but piped down as soon as the dark-haired woman sent another glare his way. "Just as you said it would be, the Beacon Dance will be the best time to hit the CCT Tower. Best time should be when it's in full swing. All the teachers should be there or at least distracted by it, same goes for all of the students. Guards will be present at the Tower, likely Atlesian soldiers given how Ironwood is here, yet they should not be too hard to handle."

"Very good, Emerald." All that the green-haired underling just told her was not surprising, but information was information. For her sake though, Emerald had to do better next time Cinder assigned a task to her. Now to see what her second underling had found out. "Now, Mercury, what do you have to report on the students here?"

"Eh, they're a bunch of lunatics." Mercury, who had still been reclining on his bed, grunted as he sat up and faced Cinder. Not amused by the game he was trying to play, Cinder narrowed her eyes and turned her left hand so its palm pointed to the ceiling. Getting the message, Mercury quickly started to take the conversation seriously. "Fine, fine, here's what I got on the crazies here."

"For once, I agree with you." The dark-haired woman's other minion whispered in agreement to Mercury's claim, which only ever happened once in a blue moon.

While she had no time for Mercury's jokes, Cinder also had to agree with his choice to refer to the people here as 'lunatics'. For one, at least once a week one of the dorm block's caught fire, and was such a regular occurrence that the Beacon students no longer treated them as emergencies. Some said the dorm blocks were cursed somehow, a few going so far as to claim a Grimm or evil spirit was behind the so-called curse. More level-headed and rational individuals pointed out their fellows' inability to observe simple fire safety, but were ignored by their peers most of the time.

Another incident that had Cinder questioning the sanity of the students here, was 'rocket-locker surfing', where a student rode their locker into the Emerald Forest as a sort of test of bravery or something along those lines. It was strictly prohibited by the teachers, but some Huntsmen-in-Training dared their wrath anyway. Threats of detention, and even expulsion, did nothing to stop people from doing it.

Anyone could be forgiven for thinking the whole idea to be insane or a tall tale, but Cinder had seen it happen. While exploring the locker rooms, she watched as a group of Beacon students talked some Vacuo exchange students into trying 'rocket-locker surfing'. It was one hell of a sight, and never had she heard a more high-pitched scream come from a person's mouth before, let alone a young man's. Most were sent flying into the Emerald Forest, yet one had crashed through the cafeteria roof thanks to the wrong coordinates being put into the locker's targeting system.

How such an activity first arose was beyond Cinder, and she was left wondering how the Kingdoms were still standing if they had children such as this defending them.

Back to the matter at hand, Mercury spent the next fifteen minutes detailing the fighting styles and techniques of various students he had observed, including the ways they used their Semblances. Some, if they were allowed to flourish, may prove adequate Huntsmen and Huntresses, while a few could become great champions that might stand as beacons of hope for the masses. Shame such potential was wasted on those creatures, for if all things went to plan, not many of them would see the coming Winter. What a great shame indeed.

Oh well, they had all made their decisions, no point in wallowing over the _very_ poor choices of others.

Overall, Mercury's personal report on the students, both Beacon and exchange, proved insightful enough for Cinder and the plan, but she needed more. Much, much more. When she introduced the virus Watts made into Beacon Tower's CCT hub, however, Cinder would have all the information she could possibly want at her fingertips.

When Mercury finished his report, ending it on the skills of that crazy blonde girl with the abominable puns, the amber-eyed woman nodded and already began to spin various new schemes for the Vytal Tournament. For now there was still much work that needed doing.

"Emerald, continue to learn as much as you can about the dance. I want no surprises, so found out _everything_ you can before we put the plan in motion." Cinder instructed the first of her subordinates, who wordlessly accepted her given mission. That was not all though, as Cinder had another task in mind for Emerald. "And carry on being 'friends' with Team RWBY, Ozpin seems to think them special somehow, you will learn why."

The green-haired girl pursed her lips together when she heard Cinder add that last part, obviously not pleased with the prospects of spending more time with the aforementioned team. Despite what personal feelings she might have on the matter, Emerald voiced no complaint against her designated task. Refusing Cinder was bad for one's health, as both underlings knew well.

"Mercury, carry on assessing the abilities of our... 'classmates'. However, if the opportunity to do so arises, face the Pyrrha Nikos girl to a spar. I want you to learn of her Semblance, and how she uses it." This assignment would be crucial for the plans she had for the Vytal Tournament, and Cinder would accept nothing less than perfection in its completion. The Nikos girl was strong, after all, and Cinder wanted to know how she could possibly break that strength.

"Sure, I'll do just that." A hint of smugness could be heard in Mercury's reply, no doubt directed towards Emerald. Their bickering was tiresome, yet Cinder had found a way to tolerate it, for now at least. Again, if these two were no of some use to Cinder, she would have done away with them before coming to Beacon.

"Good, now leave me." Cinder commanded her two minions with a wave of her hands directed towards the door. Wisely, the two creatures did not question her on why she wanted them gone or what she was going to do in their absence.

Once the two goons were gone, Cinder took a moment to examine herself in the mirror that decorated a wall of each dorm, particularly her ears. The surgery had 'trimmed' them, as one of her 'comrades' put it. Turned them into the round and ugly lumps of flesh they were now, and she hated having to look at these 'ears' every time she saw her own reflection. It was a necessary sacrifice to make herself less conspicuous among these creatures, yes, but it made Cinder sick to her stomach.

When the people of the Kingdoms saw her ears, they knew she was something else, something other than they were. Some even knew to fear her for them, which Cinder silently relished, and those who did not learnt swiftly why they should. The uniqueness they gave her, the fear they brought to others, oh how she missed both.

When everything here at Beacon was finished, her ears would be restored to how they had been, how they _should_ be. She swore it.

With one last disdainful look at her reflection, she turned from the mirror and focused her mind back to her plots and schemes. As said before, there was still much work to do.

* * *

 **As I said, there would not be too much action going on here. Just some more character development, some progression of the story and me being vague as to what Cinder actually is. I will try to fit some action or something of the sort to spice up the next chapter, if it is required or works with the story, no promises.**

 **No omake today, or any special references to speak of here, so I guess there is not much else to put here. Oh well, at least this chapter was done in under a month, unlike the last one.**

 **I will see you all when I next see you.**


	20. The Sublime Peacock

**Author's Note:**

 **Here we are, Chapter 20. May not be that big a number, but that there are people who like this is what surprises me more than how many chapters I have written. Especially given how this fanfiction started, the numerous mistakes I make, and the duration of time between updates. Well, never look a gift horse in the mouth, I guess.**

 **My apologies for this being another chapter more focused on dialogue between characters with little action. Next one will feature the Beacon Dance, with the following chapters more full of action.**

 **Well, that is enough of me; please enjoy the chapter dear reader.**

* * *

 **The Sublime Peacock**

Faen did not know how he found himself in situations such as this, but nevertheless, he got into them.

Right now, the white-haired Elf stood before an expensive hotel in the upper-class district of Vale, 'The Sublime Peacock', for the simple purposes of retrieving a friend's dress for her. When he got back to Beacon Odori had better be ready to cough up that two-hundred Lien she promised him, for he had been made to endure much. From dealing with crowds of people, daring pickpockets, and the various looks that were sent his way. Since entering this district of Vale, the last of those difficulties had only increased.

Now, for what reason did these people have for ogling him like some creature on display in a zoo?

What were the chances the sight of him wearing a grey longcoat in the midst of Summer was the cause? Did the fact he openly wore a sword on his belt the reason for their gazes being sent his way? Or was it because of his sharp, elongated ears?

Faen did not kid himself, and he was fully aware of why the people in this district looked at him the way they did, for he could hear them whisper about, out of all things, his ears. The populace of the upper-class district of Vale was predominately Human, with only a small minority of Demi-Humans and Faunus residing here. In fact, Faen had only seen a handful of Demi-humans and only one Faunus since passing the gates of this district. So their... interest in him was understandable, but in no way appreciated.

In this place, with the three previously mentioned features, he stood out like a wolf in a herd of sheep. He might very well be one by the one some treated and avoided him.

As he had walked down the district's streets, Faen overheard a couple of those Humans who whispered about him refer to him not as an Elf, instead they called him a 'non-human', a term used by Humans to lump Demi-humans and Faunus together. Very often in a derogatory fashion. That those creatures dared place it after the word 'filthy' made the term an even greater insult to him.

Humans thinking they could look down on him? He would laugh at how ludicrous the thought was if it did not anger him so much. For now, at least, Faen opted to ignore their whispered insults; they were mere fleas biting at a tiger's back after all. That and he had far more important business to complete in Vale. Business that would not complete itself if he just stood around here.

Mustering all the courage and strength he had within him, the Elf took the bold steps through the hotel's doors and entered into its front lobby. Once inside, he saw just why it was people were charged high prices to spend a couple days in here. The inside of the hotel was indeed lavish, and every possible surface seemed to have been polished to a degree that Faen could likely see his own reflection. Despite all that, the hotel had not turned out to be anywhere nearly as overbearing and pretentious in its grandeur as the hotel's name first led him to believe it to be.

Honestly, he seriously expected there to be marble statues decorating the lobby, the finest hand-woven rugs made in Gabbros, and even have a live peacock walking around somewhere.

No sooner had Faen thought of that last one, an actual peacock came into view. The colourful bird, its recognisable tail hung low and scraping against the smooth floor, strut out from the behind the reception desk. So taken aback by the creature's appearance was Faen, he stood at the entrance for a full ten seconds, doing nothing but stare as the peafowl started to preen itself in the middle of the lobby.

Yes, this place was rich, far richer than any hotel Faen ever had the pleasure of staying in, or even stepping inside of. Too rich in fact for Faen to stand for any prolonged amount of time without a suitable distraction, so it was in his best interest to leave this place as soon as possible.

Approaching the reception desk, Faen waited a short while as a family of four Humans, who obviously made more in one year than his father could in three, got the arrangements for their room settled. While the two parents were talking to the receptionist, their two young children looked at Faen with wide-eyed gazes. He did his best to ignore the two brats, but he gave in and returned their stares, making the two turn and bunch closer to their parents. If this sort of thing kept on happening, the Elf was going to request an additional fifty Lien from Odori for making him deal with all this absurdity.

Finally, the Human family in front of Faen were done, and walked over to the elevator while carrying or pulling their large luggage cases behind them. Stepping forward to the front of the desk, the receptionist did her best to hide their surprise at what he was and remain professional.

"Good afternoon, sir. How might I help you?"

"Afternoon, I have a meeting with a guest staying here at your hotel, Hitomi Akagi. Is it possible for you to please inform her I am here to see her?" Faen said, putting up the most amicable face and voice he could manage for a stranger. It was not great, but it appeared to work.

"Hmm, we were told by Miss Akagi to expect a visitor for her. Do you have any way of confirming that you are indeed who she is expecting?" At least he had turned up at the right hotel, although he was now facing a new problem. That being how he was going to actually meet with the eldest Akagi sibling.

"Huh, she is not expecting _me_ specifically, but I was sent in their place." Such a claim would not be enough, and he might be turned away if he did not act quickly enough. Good thing he had already thought of how to handle this situation, all the receptionist need do is accept what Faen had to say next. "Tell her that Faen Tatharion is here on her sister's behalf, I am sure she will understand."

The receptionist, to Faen's own surprise, took his request quite well, probably due to having heard more peculiar things from other guests. She might have even heard the sentences he said come out from mouths other than his own. A weird coincidence if it were true, but so long as it caused him no problems, he did not care one bit.

"Very well. Wait over there while we verify this with our guest, please." With a measured gesture of her hand, the receptionist pointed him towards some couches by the wall opposite the reception desk. Obviously set aside for people waiting for their rooms to be prepared, guests to come down from upstairs, or for a ride to take them someplace else; no one was currently occupying any of the couches right now.

Guessing there was no other choice but to follow the receptionist's instruction, Faen walked over to one of the couches and took a seat. Seeking a distraction to pass the time, he looked about him in search of just that. There was a short table with a small stack of magazines on it, but Faen had no interest in the latest celebrity drama, fashion trends, or whatever was going on in the economy. He had the option of taking in the sights of the lobby, but just from the quick glance around he did upon entering the hotel, the Elf reckoned there was not much worth looking at. Fancy as this place might be, nothing here fit in tastes.

So, with nothing better to do, Faen just sat and practised a breathing exercise he had read about not long ago. It beat just sitting here looking dumb as he twiddled his thumbs together.

As Faen sat quietly on the couch, he noticed the hotel's peacock approach him, eyeing him carefully and striding with the regal dignity the bird was famous for displaying. Or was it being overly pompous because of its own uniqueness? He met its gaze, for there really was nothing else he could do right now, and held it while the bird drew closer. The peacock finally reached him, and while he was sure the animal was accustomed to people, Faen was unsure whether a bird such as this normally came this close to people.

Standing by his feet, the peacock looked up at Faen, and he down at it. What exactly the animal wanted could not be discerned, for he was not exactly knowledgeable on the behaviour patterns and body language of peacocks. Did the blasted thing want him to feed it or something?

Doubtful, for the bird seemed to be at the peak of health, and there was no way it would seek food from an unfamiliar face. Or at least, that was what Faen believed to be the case.

Odd though his present situation might seem, a newfound sense of curiosity welled up in the young Elf. Leaning forward on the couch, Faen slowly reached a gloved hand towards the bird to gauge how exactly the peacock would react. To his surprise, the peafowl did not flinch away as he fully expected it would, but allowed him to draw close and gently stroke a finger against its feathered head. Marvelling at this, Faen started to use his hold hand to softly stroke and pat the peacock's head, and was further amazed at how accepting of it the peacock was.

Spending plenty of his life in pretty urban areas, and not allowed to keep pets, Faen did not interact with animals all that much. Sure he had come across cats, dogs, small birds, and a few small rodents, but not something like a peafowl. Claims his people were somehow able to charm animals by being in their presence alone, or by some secret art, were dismissed by the Elf a long time ago. He still did not believe such claims; it was all a lot of codswallop to him. This probably domesticated and well-trained peacock's behaviour just reminded him of that silly little belief.

Of course, him essentially petting the hotel's resident peacock drew the attention of plenty of the hotel staff and guests in the vicinity. Though he did not look up from the bird, Faen could feel their eyes watching him. To his relief, they said nothing, and just let him be.

Whatever their thoughts they had on what he was doing did not concern him, with Faen continuing to pet the bird as a show of that sentiment.

It was while he was busying interacting with the peacock, that a person approached him. He first noticed them through their footsteps, and then when the peacock tore away from him and began to hurry away from Faen and the individual approaching the Elf. A pity, he was beginning to enjoy the company of the colourful bird.

"Pardon me, but might I take a seat beside you?" The figure, a man with a husky quality to his voice, asked of the young Huntsman-in-Training. Funny, it was familiar for some reason.

Looking up to the man who was before him, the Elf was admittedly quite surprised when he saw him. The man before Faen was no Human as he first believed, though he appeared much like one, for the great snow-white bird wings protruding from his back marked him out as an Angel. He wore a three-piece suit, a gold goat-head pin on his lapel, and over all that he wore a coat with a collar made from either authentic or synthetic ermine fur. Moving on from his attire, Faen saw the Angel had fair skin, neatly combed back tan-brown hair, and black irises.

Faen had little interest in the current politics of Remnant, yet even he was able to recognise the man in front of him to be Azazel Onyx, the Angelic Representative in the Avaloni Parliament. He was a close friend of the late Faery King Oberon of Avalon, and the brains behind several initiatives to make the Enclave not just comparable in political and economic strength to the Kingdoms, but an equal. Among them was the expansion of Avalon's merchant fleet, which had become one of the largest in Remnant, the further mechanisation of Avalon's agriculture and other industries, and even the allowance of any Faunus residing on Avalon to attain citizenship, just to name a few.

He was also a well-known philanthropist, and made regular donations to numerous charities and aid centres that helped those displaced by Grimm attacks, suffering from terrible diseases, or other forms of misfortune that plagued people. Azazel was a politician, though, so Faen was sure these generous acts were not just done out of the good of his heart, and were also performed to gain political clout and support. Still, at least he was doing something useful with the generous sum of money he earned as a member of the Avaloni Parliament.

It was a great surprise to encounter him all the way here in Vale. Whatever purpose Azazel was here for, Faen did not care to take a guess at.

"Take it," Faen replied as respectfully as he could manage, but might have still sounded cold and hostile. There were other couches he could sit on, but he supposed there would be no stopping Azazel if he chose to seat himself besides the Elf.

Gladly Azazel took no offense to his tone and accepted the seat, and was quick to make himself comfortable on it. While the two sat silently, and somewhat awkwardly, together on the couch, Faen took note of how the Angel took out his Scroll and began playing a game of chess on it. With not much else to occupy himself with, Faen discreetly watched the politician next to him play the game on his Scroll. The first thing Faen noticed was his choice to play the black pieces, while his AI opponent played the white pieces.

Faen was an alright player, preferring to use the white pieces whenever he played, but never could he say he was an expert at it. Seeing how Azazel played the game, the Elf was sure he would lose to him if they played against each other, for he quickly dominated the virtual boardgame.

"Do you play? Chess, I mean," Azazel suddenly asked of Faen, his voice taking the Elf by surprise. He had apparently not been discreet enough, causing him to be caught by the older Demi-human.

"I have," said the Elf, his tone even.

"Some may say otherwise, but everything in life can be found in chess. Every move we make, every piece of ourselves we sacrifice; there is no knowing if any of them will be worth it until the end of the game. Just as it is in chess." As he finished, Azazel was able to eliminate the White King using the Black Queen piece, winning the game. An innovative philanthropist _and_ a man who used chess as a metaphor for life? Faen had to be careful, or else he might start to like this politician.

While Faen was thinking over what Azazel had just said to him, the older Demi-human decided to pose another question to Faen. One that had nothing to do with chess.

"Will you be a contestant in the Vytal Tournament?"

"I beg your pardon?" That had caught the Elf off-guard more than the previous question he asked Faen had. Never once had he made mention of the Vytal Tournament, or said much at all to Azazel really, so Faen was quite puzzled by how he had come to the conclusion that Faen would be a part of it.

"You are a Huntsman-in-Training are you not? A young Elf such as your must be brimming with excitement at the thought of fighting in a world-famous event such as the Vytal Tournament!" Mentioning the Vytal Tournament brought a flicker of excited anticipation to flash in Azazel's eyes, obviously the Angel was looking forward to it like most of Beacon and Vale. That had done nothing to disperse Faen's confusion though, only adding to it, and he was quick to make it known.

"How do you know I am a Huntsman-in-Training?" Faen asked Azazel, who now saw the reason for the younger Demi-human's puzzlement. Upon making that realisation, Azazel let out a short laugh and spoke some more.

"My young Elf, there are few types of people in the Kingdom allowed to openly bear arms such as yours in a civilian centre like Vale. Police, military personnel, militia guardsmen, Huntsmen, and Huntsmen-in-Training. It was a trifling affair to identify which of those you are," Azazel pointed a finger towards the sword at Faen's side as he made his explanation to the Elf. "So? What do you think of the Tournament?"

If he put it like that, Faen guessed it was rather obvious, and sort of explained why someone had not approached him about carrying _Gwaedh_ around before his arrival at the Sublime Peacock. Most people would be way more concerned by a youth carrying a weapon around, or anyone for that matter, but he guessed it was a common enough sight in Vale. A Huntsman Academy was situated not far from the city, so that might contribute to the lack of concern.

Putting those thoughts aside, the Elf started to think on how to answer Azazel. His instinctual drive to avoid conversation with this man Faen knew little of clashed with the side of him who saw potential advantages of becoming familiar with the politician. Especially one as influential as Azazel was back in Avalon. Granted, his black irises were rather unsettling to Faen, and he could not meet them for more than a few seconds, but he had worked with physical measures far worse than a simple eye colour.

"I... do look forward to the tournament," Faen finally answered, those seven words being all he could think of at the moment.

"Are you not participating in it? Do you not hope to win?"

"Realistically, others have a greater chance of winning than I do." Not an easy thing for Faen to say those words, as while his warrior pride screamed for him to take them back, they were sadly the truth in his eyes. There was only so much he was willing to do for pride, and lying to himself and others of his chances in the Vytal Tournament was not among

"Bah, always aim high in every endeavour you become a part of, young Elf! Though you might miss the Moon, there is a chance you may reach the stars. I for one have lived by this rule for all of my life, _all_ of it, and see where it is I stand now?" Azazel said with a smile, his words almost sickeningly optimistic to Faen.

Be that as it may, the words he had spoken latched onto his mind, and try as Faen might to remove them, they clung onto him no matter his efforts.

Before the Elf could say anything in response, the loud jingle of several bells started to ring through the lobby. Taking an interest in this sudden, strange sound, Faen and a few others looked to what was the source.

An imp, a boney, red-skinned humanoid whose hairless head reached up to half of Faen's thigh, had sauntered through the hotel's front door as though it were a palace and he its rightful lord. It was certainly a curious sight to see, for the Imp wore an expensive tuxedo, shoes with long curled up toes, and a wide belt around its waist that had numerous bells dangling from it. Relishing the attention it was receiving, the Imp strut towards Azazel, who wore an amused look on his face, then jumped forward so he was almost stepping on the Angel's toes.

"Sir, your car is here." The imp announced in a voice more high-pitched than Faen expected the creature to sound.

"Ah, thank you, Flann. I am afraid this is where we must part, but take a moment to think on what I said." Azazel stood up from the couch he shared with Faen "Aim high, so that you might reach heights greater than you could have dreamed."

Faen, thinking of no other way to respond, just nodded to Azazel. Seemingly satisfied with his answer, the Angelic Representative turned and began to walk towards the door. The Imp, Flann, followed after Azazel, though not before sending wink and a wide, toothy smile of its own at Faen. Given how ugly and nearly Goblin-like the Imp's face was, it disturbed Faen more than he would care to admit.

Soon enough, both Angel and Imp were out through the hotel's doors, leaving Faen to his own devices once more. Sighing to himself, Faen returned to sitting quietly on the couch, waiting for the hotel staff to... well, do bloody anything about his request to see Hitomi.

Continuing to wait, far longer than Faen had wanted, he had half a mind to walk up to the front desk and ask what was taking so long. As it turned out, there was no need, for the immaculately well-polished doors of an elevator opened to reveal the familiar form of Hitomi Akagi. She took a moment to look around the lobby, and was quickly able to spot him.

Hitomi was wearing a red-and-white Áo dài dress; a long dress tunic with splits down its sides to reveal the trousers the wearer had underneath, and had a pair of slip-on shoes covering her feet. All else about the older Kitsune was much the same as he last saw Hitomi. From the way her hair was done, to the fact she still held onto a _sensu_ fan despite the weather being rather temperate today.

Wasting no time, Hitomi started to stride over to Faen, while he stood up from the couch and walk over to her as well.

"Ah, Faen, this is a most unexpected surprise." Hitomi greeted him with a courteous and sincere smile gracing her face, her seven fox-tails swaying from side to side. The sweet scent of perfume clung to her and assaulted Faen's nose, though it was not terribly overpowering. "I was told you claimed my sister to be the reason you are here? Is that true, or are you in fact here of your own volition?"

"Your sister's I am afraid to say. She was... insistent that I be the one to go pick up her dress," said the Elf, bowing his head as he finished. Being the elder in this conversation, it was only right for him to show some deference to the Kitsune.

"I cannot say I did not expect this, but it is saddening to know nonetheless." Her face fell a bit, the fox-ears atop her head drooped slightly as well, but Hitomi set her disappointment aside and looked up at him again. "Well, no point dawdling here any longer, now is there? Let us go to my room, in there we can discuss things in private."

Nodding to show he agreed with her, Faen moved a hand in a gesture to the elevators the Kitsune had just come from, wordlessly proposing that she lead him onwards.

* * *

It was a quiet trip to Hitomi's room, the two much preferring to discuss things within its more private confines.

Finally the two did reach the room which the Kitsune was staying in, and upon entering Faen saw it was more luxurious and spacious than he had imagined it could be. While it was both of those things, the designers of Hitomi's room had made sure it was cosy as well, and had one hell of a view of the Vale cityscape that could be seen from a small balcony outside. A bit much on the images of peacocks; for peacocks were embroidered into the curtains, sown into the bedsheets, and even printed onto the customised sachets of coffee that remained untouched on a drawer of lacquered wood. Still, what did that matter to him? That was a problem for the people who stayed here, and Faen would not be staying for long.

Little else of interest caught Faen's eye in this room, apart from a case placed on top of that aforementioned drawer. It was too small to hold a significant amount of luggage, and too big to simply hold papers or other miscellaneaous items a briefcase might carry. He had an idea of just what could possibly be in the case, there were few other alternatives, but he stopped himself from voicing the obvious. He would let Hitomi have the pleasure of revealing the contents for herself.

"Please, remove your boots," Hitomi gestured to him as she removed her own shoes and placed them near the door. It was while Faen removed his knee-high boots that the Kitsune spoke up again. "I must ask, is it normal for you to carry a weapon when visiting a close associate's relatives?"

"On occasion. Things in Vale have become rather troublesome as of late, and I feel much safer with _Gwaedh_ on my person," said Faen, tapping the butt of the dao's grip as he did. The Dust shop robberies that had been plaguing Vale had died down to the point they had stopped, but the Elf chose to remain cautious whenever he ventured to Vale now. That having the weapon on his person made people keep their distance from him was an unintentional, yet welcome benefit.

"' _Gwaedh_ '," Hitomi repeated after him, letting the word roll off her tongue like someone tasting wine. "That means ' _Oath_ ' or ' _Bond_ ' in the Common Elf language, does it not? I would have thought it to be more of an ' _Eanith_ ' or even _'Isilmë_ '."

Faen stood stock still, quietly blinking at how Hitomi was able to not just translate the name of his sword, but also provide two other words from the Elf language. In his short life, it was a rarity to encounter a non-Elf who had a fluent understanding of his kin's tongue. Not to say he was assuming Hitomi to be a fluent speaker, for anyone with access to the internet could look up how to say a couple words and phrases. Still, she piqued his interest, and he was interested to learn how much Hitomi knew and why.

"' _Eanith_ '; honour, burden, and contest of wills. ' _Isilmë_ '; moonlight. You are... knowledgeable of my people's languages? Why is that so?" The Elf said, expressing his surprise at Hitomi's understanding of his language while also translating what the words she said meant.

"Only a little, after all, your language is one far more complex than that of the Human tongue we use now. Becoming fluent at a couple dialects may prove useful in any future dealings I have with any Elves I encounter as a Secretary of the Ten Ministers of Shangri-La," Hitomi went on to explain to him as she fanned herself with her _sensu_. Faen found could not argue against her logic and started moving again to stop himself looking like a dumbstruck fool.

"Ah, I see what you mean. Good luck with that," he sincerely meant what he said. There were several layers of intricacies when it came to the Elf languages, from the proper pronouncement of letters to the various meanings a single word could possess. Rather much like some Human languages some could argue, but Faen was of the mind his own was better for the simple reason it was his people's tongue.

"Thank you. Come; let me show you the dress Odori will be wearing."

Moving over to the case resting atop the drawer, the Kitsune undid its locks and opened the case's lid. Faen watched as Hitomi reached inside and pulled out a folded up silken dress from the case with the utmost care. Having removed the dress from the case, Hitomi then took it over to her wide bed and laid it out, unfolding the piece of clothing to reveal its full beauty.

For beautiful the dress most certainly was. A _qipao_ in its overall design; it had a keyhole opening at the front, long form-fitting sleeves, side-splits that would expose much of the legs, and the hem of the dress would likely reach just above Odori's feet if she put it on. Apart from its general shape, Faen guessed it to be woven from a black fabric, likely silk or nylon if his knowledge of textiles was not terrible, with elegant crimson embroidery sown into the dress as well. Yes, this dress was beautiful to him, and he could only imagine how Odori would look in it.

"Marvellous, is it not?" Hitomi questioned him upon seeing the awed expression that fixed on his face for a second, a knowing look on her face before looking down and admiring the dress for herself. "Odori gave us several specifications on its design, and I believe it turned out quite lovely. I first believed she would have ordered a kimono; she loved them since she was a little girl, yet sister ordered her dress be a qipao instead. Still a splendid choice of dress either way."

"I concur. Odori will look... fantastic in this dress," was all Faen could think of saying about the article of clothing before him as he hovered a hand over soft and shiny fabric. Gods this must have been expensive to make, and he was unsure if his hands could ever become clean enough to touch it. Even with his gloves on, Faen did not believe he should so much as scrape a millimetre of it against the dress.

"Your approval gladdens me." The Kitsune remarked as she stood next to him and gazed down at the dress laid down on her bed. "Hopefully Odori will think the same, and, better yet, enjoy her time at this Beacon Dance of yours as she wears it. If such is in your power, can you see to it? It would mean a great deal to me if you do."

"If the situation at the dance calls for it, then I shall see what it I can do." Faen looked up at Hitomi for a moment, his eyes meeting hers which bore a satisfied quality to them. With a new task now placed on his shoulders, he turned away from the Kitsune and focused on the dress again.

For maybe the next minute or so, the two silently stood side by side, admiring the dress meant for the Elf's partner. His mind beginning to wander, Faen did start to imagine how Odori would look in it.

How much would the dress hug close to her figure? Would she wear her hair loose and long as she had always done, or do it up in a style he saw a few women from Anima wear theirs at formal occasions? What sort of make up or fragrant perfume did Odori plan to wear at the dance? Such strange thoughts and questions were peculiar to Faen, and the Elf became startled by how they came to be in the first place.

"This will fit her," Faen said, breaking the silence as he looked up from Odori's new dress and focused his eyes on her older sister. "The sleeves could feel a little tight, and perhaps around the hip area also, but it will fit. Whoever made this did a wonderful job."

"Oh, paying close attention to my younger sister's body are you? My, my, for whatever reason might you being doing that for?" Hitomi teased him, the Kitsune chuckling to herself after she finished. Realising how his words had sounded, and hearing how it could be twisted, Faen mentally kicked himself for not predicting that this would happen. "Do you have something of your own to wear to the dance? You do not seek to go in that, or, gods forbid, your Academy uniform?"

"I have a suit, nothing as fancy as this, however." Shaking his head once, the Elf stepped a couple paces from the bed, though Hitomi did not follow him. Instead, she kept her eyes focused squarely on the dress, while turning one of her fox-ears at his direction. "Will you be returning to Shangri-La once we are finished here? Or do you plan to stay for the Vytal Festival?"

Hitomi, did not say anything yet, instead she reached down and carefully folded the dress up. Treating it with even greater care, she carried it over to the case that previously held it and deposited it back inside, before turning back to Faen.

"I will be leaving, but only just before the Vytal Festival begins. A shame, I have wanted to watch a Vytal Tournament in person for a long time now. However, duties back home always got in the way of my wish." The Kitsune let out a heavy sigh as she opened her fan once again and started to more rigorously fan herself. "Oh well, there is always next time. How about you? You shall undoubtedly be here in Beacon throughout the entirety of the Festival, but will you be a part of the Tournament? Do you at least aspire to count among the contestants?"

"Huh, if I got a penny every time someone asked me that, I would have enough to rub together between my fingers and thumb." The Elf muttered to himself, causing Hitomi to raise a brow at him after he had finished his comment. "The answer is maybe. We have yet to receive the results of our combat assessments, so I have no idea whether my team has qualified for the Tournament or not. My team hopes our performance is enough for a place, yet I am prepared for the eventuality we fail to meet the required standards."

"Well, for what it's worth, I hope you do make it. Watching you all fighting in Amity Arena is bound to be a sight to see." She moved away from him just as Faen opened his mouth to thank Hitomi for her kind words, gliding over to the glass door leading to her hotel room's balcony. Opening it Hitomi walked through and beckoned him to follow after her, apparently wishing to continue their conversation there. Guessing it impolite to turn her down, Faen followed and was immediately greeted by a light breeze that cooled his skin and the warm caress of the Sun.

Looking out from the balcony, the Elf took a moment to appreciate the view in front of him, if he could. Fairer sights had blessed his eyes several times before, smells most certainly as well, but what he could see of Vale could by no means be counted among the worst views he had seen. The upper-class district was situated on higher ground than most of Vale, that and how high above the ground the balcony was, so he could see for miles around. His sharp eyes could even spy the faraway silhouette of Beacon Academy to the East, specifically Beacon Tower.

Rising up from the streets several storeys below him, the hum of car engines were heard, shouts of a rowdy gang of youths, and the faint traces of someone smoking a cigarette irritated his nostrils. That and about a dozen other sounds and smells assaulted his senses while he stood at this elevated perch.

All this did not comfort Faen, instead only agitating him ever so slightly as he was made to endure them. Cities constructed by non-Elves were very rarely to his liking. Vale was not bad, especially for a Human city, Faen just found himself preferring the sight of his old hometown. The place he called home before Vigil. Nostalgia started to sweep through his mind and weigh down his heart as he thought of that home, old memories making Faen drop his gaze on the city and focus on the balcony's railing.

"An opportunity of a lifetime, is it not?" Hitomi began, as she leaned on the balcony's railing and stared out at the city with him. Incidentally breaking him out of his silent reflections and bringing his thoughts back to the present. "Just imagine it, you might have a chance of winning the Tournament while still in your first year as a Huntsman-in-Training. You must be excited."

Nothing was said by Faen in response as he saw little need to. He already said he did to Azazel, and the Elf had no interest in repeating that same conversation he had with the Angel down at the lobby. Rude though his lack of an answer may be, he simply felt no desire to provide one at this occasion.

"Anyway, dearest Odori, what have you to say of her? How has she been since we last saw one another?" Asked the Kitsune softly, her eyes locked on the far horizon.

"Apart for maybe a couple problems here and there, she has fully adjusted to life here in Beacon." He answered Hitomi while he tracked the flight of a few birds dancing together in the sky above him. "With each passing day spent in the Academy your sister becomes an even greater warrior, same goes for the rest of us I suppose. She works hard to completes any given school assignment in time, and gets good grades for her efforts. All in all, Odori is well and is in good hands with us."

"That is good to hear. I suppose it is thanks in part to your leadership my sister has grown as much as you say she has. You have my gratitude for that, among a few other things." She was complimenting and thanking him, yet Faen swiftly deflected it.

"No, you should not be thanking me for such a thing, for Odori has learnt to improve herself on her own." Said the Elf, wishing to appear at least a little humble to her, yet there was a little truth to it. Leader of Team FFOG he might be, it was ultimately up to his teammates how much they bettered themselves as warriors. All he did was direct their focus, and keep the lot of them out of trouble and alive.

"Do not discredit or depreciate yourself, Faen. It does not suit you, and I doubt you truly believe such words to be true." Hitomi snapped at him all of a sudden, catching the Elf by surprise, her lips now a thin disapproving line. Shortly after she finished, Hitomi returned to her prior state, and calmly spoke again. "How are you and the rest of your team, might ask? While I know little of them, have you and the others found Beacon to be manageable?"

"I will not speak for the others, yet I believe things to have become interesting as of late. What with the Vytal Festival around the corner, that is bound to happen." Faen said nothing of Yasmin or Halvard, they were matters that should concern only him and his team.

Well, if he could say he had gotten anything out of this conversation, one of the things he could say may be Hitomi's disapproval of self-depreciation. Interesting sure, and perhaps useful later down the line. It at least informed Faen of one type of behaviour he had best avoid to stay on Hitomi's good side.

Lesson learned, Faen guessed.

Remaining on the balcony together, both Demi-humans took a silent moment to consider what else they were to say to one another. Faen certainly had no clue as to what he could possibly discuss with Hitomi. He _might_ end it all here and now, the dress he came for was ready and close by, and there was precious little the Elf had or wished to do in this hotel. Something held him back, though, and what it is Faen could not immediately tell at that moment.

"Have you done anything about my sister's unique problem?" The Kitsune said, grabbing Faen's interest once more. It did not take Faen long to figure out what she meant, and when he did, the Elf crossed his arm and looked down at the floor.

Ah yes, that was the thing holding Faen back from leaving. He realised that now. It was bound to come up sooner or later, this problematic issue Faen was meant to be solving.

"You mean her... You wish to talk of the task you and your other sisters gave me? I am afraid to say I have made next to no progress with it," Faen whispered in response to Hitomi. Part of him wondered whether it was wise to be discussing this on the balcony, but he guessed Hitomi would never have brought it up if she did not believe so. " _If_ Odori is as you claim her to be, then she knows how to hide her affliction better than a Leprechaun does his gold."

"Really now? You never noticed anything that might be considered suspect? No students harmed in fights more than necessary? Any small animals or insects found dead on the Academy's premises?" Yes, the Kitsune must be extremely confident that none could overhear them if she were being this blunt. He too sensed no one anywhere near them, but Faen chose to remain cautious with the words he used.

"Apart from displays any warrior might show as they defeat an enemy, and a few bits of eccentric behaviour. No, I have not seen one indication that she is as you described to me."

Leaning against the railing, Hitomi turned her face upwards and exhaled deeply. Her free hand behind her back while the hand holding the _sensu_ fan snapped it shut and started to play with it in her hands. Not a good sign.

"Hmm, you were a gamble, but you have the best chance of helping our sister. Does she go off on her own from time to time? Return to you some time later with a convenient excuse or says her venture is 'of no importance'?" Asked Hitomi, her questions striking a cord in Faen's head.

Truth be told, yes, Odori would on occasion do as her elder sister just said.

She missed out on quite a few social events FFOG were a part of; the most recent Faen could recall being another session of Dark Paths, because Odori needed to go over something with a teacher. It had struck him as odd at times, yet never had the Elf thought twice about these excursions. Not only that, but his partner did indeed tell him her visits to the professors were 'of no importance', just as Hitomi said. The idea now planted in his head, Faen's mind began to form numerous ideas of what Odori might have done during those times she spent away from the team.

Noticing the expectant expression on Hitomi's face, Faen rolled his shoulders and finally got round to answering her. The previously mentioned thoughts now alike to great weights stacked on top of his head, one on top of the other.

"From time to time, yes. You believe she somehow does some elicit action while she is away from us?" His own question was pointless for it was undoubtedly what the older Akagi sister was implying.

"That is for you to discover, we gave you this task and it is yours to complete on your own." The Kitsune stated, causing Faen to curl the edge of his lips downwards slightly as she strode back into the room. "Try harder and spend more time with my sister, please. You will see Odori's true nature, and know why we feared her for a time. Once you have done that, you will do more to help Odori as I and my sisters hoped you would be able to."

Why yes, now that was _very_ helpful was it not? As the Elf followed after Hitomi, he watched the Kitsune seat herself on a soft-backed arm chair beside a low coffee table, leaving him to stand as it was the only chair in the hotel room. He could choose to sit on the bed, yet he crossed that option out of his mind. This was Hitomi's room and bed, and it looked way to fancy for him to touch.

With him standing, and her sat with both her legs crossed, the two returned to the topic they had been discussing a moment earlier.

"Perhaps... you were not given enough incentive," Hitomi pondered aloud. Where she planned to go with this did not sit well with Faen, and reminded him of another conversation he had not long ago. "Do you wish to be compensated with a reward for undertaking this task for us? Is it money or even status that you look for? If so, I can personally arrange it myself."

"I do not require either from you, or your family. Helping Odori is sufficient enough reward for me," Faen said, turning down the Kitsune's offer. This was the second time in two days that someone, specifically a Kitsune, had gone on to offer him some sort of reward for a special service they wanted him to complete. A part of him wondered if this was a thing Odori and her family did, offering money to others in exchange for the completion of tasks like an NPC from a video game does.

"Truly? Hmm, perhaps you are a slight bit more different than I first perceived you to be, or maybe not." She hummed whilst eyeing him with an analysing look in her eyes, probably to see whether he was lying or not.

He was lying, and the Elf did his best not to show it.

Maintaining eye contact with Hitomi, Faen made sure not to change his facial expression or even his body language. A single slip up might give away his lie, or even the secret deal Faen made with Odori. Now that was not something he wanted her or anyone else for that matter to know about. It was not illegal or anything, as far as the both of them were concerned, yet the Elf would much rather keep the fact Odori was paying him two-hundred Lien just to deliver this dress to her. Goodness knows how the Kitsune in front of him would react if she discovered said deal.

He guessed she had her suspicions of his truthfulness, given the way Hitomi eyed him, but what she thought was never made known to Faen. Instead, the Kitsune unfolded the _sensu_ again and started to fan herself.

Once again, as it always seemed to be with every conversation he got into, Faen was left searching for a topic, any topic, to keep it alive. Problem was he had more or less exhausted every possible subject the Elf had an inkling of interest in bringing up. There was nothing more that Faen believed the two had to talk about, and his eyes started to shoot glances over to the case that held his partner's dress.

Finally resolving to just end it, Faen walked over to the case that held his partner's dress and delicately picked up by its handle. This did not go unnoticed, but Hitomi remained silent as she watched him take the case from the drawer.

"I think I should get going. The next airship back to Beacon will be leaving soon, and I would very much like to catch it." That was not true, he had a long time until the next flight back to Beacon, it was just the best excuse he had for leaving. Thankfully, she did not appear to know or realise this, and let him carry on.

"Very well. Give my regards to Odori and your other teammates for me," Hitomi nodded once at him. He was not so sure Odori would receive well any regards Hitomi wanted him to relay, but he was sure the others would be more receptive. Glancing over to Hitomi, there was no sign that she was going to get up from her chair, so he guessed he should say his farewells here and now.

"That can be easily done. Till our next meeting," Faen returned her nod with a one of his own. Opening the hotel door, he briefly paused before closing it behind him just in case Hitomi had something to say. There was nothing, and the Elf shut the door and carried on towards the elevator that had taken him here.

So much like the journey to the hotel room, his return to the hotel's front lobby was silent, blissfully so. No one was present in the corridor as he walked to the elevator, and none were inside the elevator when it arrived on his floor. As he waited for the elevator to complete its descent to the ground floor, Faen pulled out his Scroll and checked for any messages or calls. He had kept it muted throughout the entire time he was inside the hotel, not an easy decision given his responsibilities back at Beacon, but one he made regardless.

To his relief, no calls or messages had been sent. No distressing news that Grey had turned into the Wolf. No Friesian complaining about history class. No Odori pressing him on where he was or who was he seeing right now. Better yet, no Yasmin complicating his life more than it already was.

Pocketing the Scroll in his jacket the moment the elevator stopped and its doors slid open, Faen walked into the hotel's lobby for the second time today. As had been the case when he first arrived at the Sublime Peacock, there was little activity here. There was a balding Human guest at the reception desk voicing a complaint about how the steamed hams he ordered up to his room tasted like the grilled burgers from a fast-food restaurant, but apart from that, not much else struck his fancy. With nothing of interest to him here, Faen stepped out from the elevator and made for the front door, case in hand.

He had to be halfway to the door when a familiar shape stepped forward and intercepted him. No Human or anything of the sort did so. As it turned out, the hotel's peacock was not done with him.

Strutting directly in front of him, the peacock stared up at him as it did when they first encountered each. He could easily sidestep the bird and be on his way, yet Faen momentarily stopped and returned the peacock's gaze. Odd it indeed was that this bird seemed so intent to approach him for no reason Faen could identify. Well, no matter its reason, Faen wished to leave and no exotic bird was going to impede him.

"Strange bird," the Elf muttered as he moved on past the peacock and exited the hotel for the first and last time.

* * *

Ozpin, the acclaimed Headmaster of Beacon Academy, stood with members of his Order's Inner Circle in his office atop Beacon Tower as they read through Faery King Oberon's eulogy for the fourth time. Of the Order, only he, Glynda Goodwitch, James Ironwood, and Kallisto Taupe were physically present. The two others, Professors Theodore and Lionheart, the Headmasters of Shade and Haven Academies respectively, had called in through a channel accessible only to the Order's members.

"A very sterling account by whoever wrote this," Leonardo remarked, breaking the silence that had hung over the office for the past three or four minutes.

"Oberon would not have liked it; even so, he would have appreciated the act." Ozpin intoned, having known the Faery King better than any of the others in his office. Truthfully, Oberon would have preferred a much grander portrayal of his life in his eulogy, but Ozpin guessed he would rest easy knowing he had received one as positive as this. "Onto the matter at hand, our investigators have made discoveries about Oberon's killer. I am sure you would all like to see what they found."

"He is due to go on trial tomorrow, correct?" Glynda asked in a steady voice, crossing her arms as she brought up the impending trail.

"Correct, but not only on the charge of regicide, however." Beacon's Headmaster wearily said as he walked behind his desk. Sleep had not come easy to him as of late, and he found himself awake long into the night. "Charges of arson shall also be levelled against him, for a fire erupted at the apartment where he resided in on the same day as Oberon's assassination. Emergency services stopped it before it could spread far, but damage was done and lives lost despite their efforts. Evidence points to the fire having been started deliberately."

The room went quiet for a second time, not out of respect this time around, but out of a quiet disgust towards Oberon's killer, a Harpy named Peregrin Slate. It had not been enough to kill a close ally and friend, apparently. Slate had to take several innocent lives as well.

Not wishing for his fellows' minds to linger on such negative thoughts, Ozpin planted his Scroll on his desk and tapped on its screen. The purpose for this meeting appearing at the centre of the room through a holographic projector built into the office. Enlarged so they could also see its details clearly, the Order members were shown what at a first glanced appeared to be a standard Lien coin. One subjected to great heat as nearly half of it had melted somewhat.

Easily could the item be mistaken for an ordinary Lien coin if one took a cursory glance at it. However, if one were to take a closer look, they could see it bore no other similarities with Lien coins apart from sharing the same overall shape. One of the differences that marked it out as different was instead of being made of copper, zinc, or nickel, the coin was made solely out of iron. The second, and most noticeable difference, was etched onto the still intact parts of the coin's faces was an image of an open hand, with a perfect circle in its palm.

This coin was not the first Ozpin had seen, having seen numerous such tokens many, many years ago. To the others, this small coin was wholly new to them, and immediately started to gaze at it analytically. Of particular interest was Kallisto, whose eyes flashed with recognition the second she laid eyes on the image etched onto the coin.

"This is..." Theodore began, but quickly trailed off soon as he started. In faraway Vacuo and Mistral, the coin was currently being displayed on his fellow Headmasters' Scrolls so they too might see what Ozpin wished to show them all.

"A token that identifies the bearer as a member of a cult Oz has been watching for some time now. The New Moon," James stepped in and informed his compatriots. At this, Ozpin noticed Kallisto turn her gaze from the others for reasons he knew well.

The Cult of the New Moon was a religious movement said to have been started in Avalon prior to the Great War, if their intelligence of its origins was correct. Though the Cult might have been started in Avalon, its members were not restricted to that particular Enclave. People in other Enclaves were also followers of the New Moon, with even Kingdomers counting among their number. Again, if their knowledge was accurate.

Except from Avalon, where the cult supposed first sprung forth from, the New Moon had a strong presence in Themyscira prior to the Enclave's destruction. Order search parties had discovered many coins such as this in the homes of Themyscira's deceased residents before the Enclave was officially cordoned off due to the insurmountable number of Grimm that flocked there. It was through the ruins of Themyscira that the Order first learnt of and knew anything about the New Moon cult at all.

Kallisto Taupe, the last remaining citizen of Themyscira, had never once brought up the cult before. Not because she had anything to hide, Qrow had done a good job at making sure of that. Instead, it was because the Gorgon had nothing to do with the cult to begin with, at least, not directly.

"What is it we know of this cult, professor? Would they have motivation for murdering Oberon? Could they be affiliated with Her?" Glynda asked him, her questions anticipated by the Headmaster prior to the commencement of this meeting.

"The answers to your questions cannot be easily given, I am afraid. The cult is secretive, and the precise number of followers it possesses around the world is unknown to us." Tapping the screen of his Scroll for a second time, the image of the coin shrunk and was joined by various boxes displaying all information he had gathered on the New Moon cult over the years. Each box was filled with text or other images related to the chosen topic.

It spoke of how little the Order knew when one considered how half of the fifteen text-filled boxes were full of questions; same went for the small annotations attached to the images. Among the images was a hazy picture of a robed figure in an alley, the interior of a ransacked cult gathering spot, and the cult's insignia.

"The cult's central belief, or so I have been led to believe, is that the moon will be made whole one day. On that day, all people shall be judged and receive a punishment or reward appropriate to their actions in life." Not too outstanding as religious beliefs go, there were others who believed in something similar. Yet his instincts had told him to keep an eye on the cult the moment he learnt of it. "I've long held suspicions towards the Cult had some dealings, knowingly or unknowingly, with the Enemy, but never have we stumbled across any evidence that warranted a greater deal of interest into it. That is, until now though."

Pointing to the various pieces of information he collected with his cane, Ozpin drew particular attention to how two of Oberon's best agents died with a coin similar to the one found in Slate's scorched apartment near their bodies. The agents, both Vampires with only mild religious leanings, were not members of the cult. That the coin was on their person puzzled both Ozpin and Oberon when it was discovered, and had been the start point of his cautious interest.

"So, what is it you wish us to do about this cult? Should we launch an official investigation on its activities?" James suggested, the bluntness of his idea a thing Ozpin and those who knew him long were accustomed to.

"Launching a public investigation of the Cult would draw to much attention, and might create an opportunity the Enemy will take advantage of. More covert methods, such as sending undercover agents into the Cult could be attempted. Yet conditions for joining the Cult are exacting to a degree that would make infiltration difficult." Ozpin knew that last piece well, for his agents who had attempted to gain entry into the cult were rebuffed at every attempt. "One can only join at the recommendation of a cult member, specifically one the recommended is related to. No one in the Order is of the cult, so investigating by that means is not viable."

"Then a public investigation is out only choice," the Atlesian General spoke up again. Ozpin sighed in response, Glynda sent him a critical glare, Kallisto shared a look with two of her snakes, and Ozpin could only imagine his fellow Headmasters had pinched the bridges of their noses at James' words. "The Vytal Festival is just around the corner. We do not have the time to organise a more time-costly alternative."

"James, were you not listening to Ozpin? Such an approach will draw far too much attention, especially if you intend to use your entire military for this harebrained plan of yours." Glynda was quick to step forward this time around and criticise James.

"It will be better than doing nothing, Glynda!" James responded, raising his voice at her, though not enough that he was shouting.

Ozpin took a sip from his mug as the two confronted each other, the contents of which had actually gone cold. He had feared James might start something, and now the Headmaster had to calm the two of them down. Easily achieved if all the previous times had to break them up meant anything, but it could be tiring having to do this time and again. Especially when over matters they should be united together in.

"Enough you two," Ozpin calmly yet firmly said. Hearing him, the two backed down, though not before shooting a look at one another as they stepped back to where they had been standing. Believing it time to bring it up, Ozpin turned his head over to Kallisto and continued where he left off before James interrupted him. "Kallisto, would you please fill us in on what you know of the New Moon cult? You are not a follower, but you of all people here are the most familiar with it."

The Gorgon stiffened when he addressed her, and the eyes behind her mask sent a look of shocked surprise his way, which he met with a reassuring look of his own. He had not initially wished it to be this way, but recent events had forced his hand.

When the Order search parties rummaged through the ruins of Themyscira, they had searched the Gorgon's old home on the Enclave, and was one of the places a New Moon coin was found in. It first meant little to Ozpin, and remained that way until one's discovery on Oberon's deceased operatives. Again, she was not a follower of the cult, having stated as much to sweep away any dangerous thoughts his colleagues might have, but she could be a source of new insights on it regardless.

Kallisto, having overcome the shock of Ozpin's knowledge regarding her connection to the cult, looked prepared to do as Ozpin asked. The others in turn looked ready to listen to the Gorgon, trusting in Ozpin's judgement of the Demi-human.

"There is little for me to say on the cult. The cult was prolific back at Themyscira, in fact, it was claimed half of our _epilektoi_ were followers. My grandmother was a member, and she, alongside to family friends, attempted to convert me several times. Both before and during my time as a Beacon student." Kallisto told the other Order members, all of them listening intently to her.

The ' _epilektoi_ ' Taupe mentioned was the standing military force of Themyscira, who stood above the Enclave's regular citizen militia in regards to their equipment, professionalism, and overall effectiveness in combat. The claim half of the force, which always numbered around one-thousand-five-hundred, was a worrying prospect.

"Not much else is there to speak of, as, apart from boasts such as that, grandmother never revealed too much. Batty old woman though she might have been, she kept many things close to her chest." Reaching a hand up, Kallisto adjusted how her clay mask fitted itself on her face, a sign of discomfort he had come to learn. Themyscira was a touchy subject for her, and Ozpin was prepared to let her speak to him alone if she wished it. "She spoke of the Moon becoming whole just as you said. How there were 'brothers and sisters' all over the world, and always spoke highly of the 'Hierarch' who led them from Avalon. Although she failed to ever reveal their name, gender, or species."

"Is there nothing more you can tell us?" Glynda inquisitively questioned Kallisto, beating Ozpin to the punch.

"I am afraid no. When she died during my third year in Beacon, she was still trying to induct me into the cult and left me nothing but her own ashes after we cremated her." Kallisto planted both hands on her hips; her voice was thickly laced with bitterness when she uttered that last sentence.

Doing his best to conceal his disappointment, Ozpin drank from the cold cocoa in his mug to help do just that. It was worth a shot and by no means could the Headmaster say he learnt nothing new about the New Moon cult. Making a mental note of all that Kallisto had told him, Ozpin would make sure it was all added to his notes.

"While I believe Kallisto's insights to be useful, I think we are jumping to conclusions too quickly and not considering another probability. What if this coin was planted and another false lead left so we expend valuable resources and time following after it? It would not be the first time the Enemy has misled us." Leo chipped in, raising a very fair point. Yes, She had sent the Order on false leads before, much to their expense and sorrow, yet Ozpin felt sure there was more to this.

"I have toyed with the possibility, yet I wholeheartedly believe the cult is worth investigating." Ozpin responded to the scepticism shown by the Headmaster of Mistral. The conviction behind his words seemed enough to sway Glynda and Ironwood of its importance, yet he was unsure of whether Leonardo and Theodore were on the same boat as them.

"I... for one cannot help but agree with Leonardo." Headmaster Theodore's voice slowly said through the scroll, displaying his ever cautious nature. "But I must also say we know too little of the New Moon. Is there really no other way to learn more?"

There were, but as Leonardo expressed, that would mean diverting Order personnel and resources. One idea was to discover and infiltrate the places where the cult congregated to worship, a task easier than getting into the cult itself. Again, however, the cult was secretive, and the Order had barely any information on the cult as it was. Finding where they gathered would be difficult for even some of the Order's best.

"How about... Qrow? Can he not help us in this?" Glynda hesitantly asked. That was an idea, and as one of the Order's best agents, this was the sort of task he was accustomed to and excelled at. Despite that, there was a problem that made it difficult to enact.

"We may try, but I am afraid we do know where on Remnant he is exactly. His last assignment was to learn more on the activities of the Queen, but he has been out of contact for weeks. All attempts to reach him have been fruitless so far, likely because he is outside the range of the CCT Network." Ozpin informed them all, taking a moment to rub his forehead while he spoke.

As a response to that revelation, Glynda and James sighed in both disappointment _and_ relief. Qrow could be difficult at times, especially after he had taken a swing or two from his flask, making him even harder for the two to tolerate. James in particular, as the two men were almost always at odds with one another.

"What about that new agent of yours, Oz? That Elf-Dracon girl? I hear you have been utilising her as of late," James now suggested.

"The current capacity that she helps us achieve our goals is adequate enough for now. Making her do anything further than that carries more risks than benefits for the Order," Ozpin immediately turned down James's proposal. That girl was trouble enough as it is, the Headmaster was not keen on putting her in a position to cause more. Especially if it meant learning too much of the true reason behind the Order's existence.

It was the way with all minor agents of the Order. The full members of the Order were a part of the Inner Circle, those who knew the truth of the world from Ozpin. Minor agents like Yasmin only knew they fought a secret war against an enemy who sought to wreak chaos all over Remnant. Each had a reason why they were not meant to learn more, and Yasmin was no exception.

Her loyalty was not guaranteed, and the manner of her recruitment was not to his liking. Perhaps the Elf-Dracon's time here in Beacon would temper some of her more negative traits, yet that might be a slow process from what Ozpin knew of her current behaviour. A great shame, but not the first time the Headmaster had seen this sort of thing in people.

As the Order were about to continue on discussing the matter of the New Moon cult, Ozpin's Scroll started to ring, the tune he set telling the Headmaster immediately who it was that wished to speak to him. The Council of Vale. Without a doubt they were calling to talk about some new policy they were implementing or wanted to go over another minute detail of the approaching Vytal Festival. While he understood the great importance of that last one, it had become very bothersome.

Everyone else in the room, upon being notified who was calling Ozpin, started to leave the conversation. Theodore and Leonardo disconnected after saying a quick and cordial goodbye to their comrades in Beacon. Meanwhile, Glynda, James, and Kallisto said their farewells before walking into the lone elevator done from Ozpin office together.

Sitting himself down at his desk, Ozpin finished the last of cocoa that remained in his mug. If he had time, the Headmaster would have made some more for himself, but the Council would be less than pleased if he did not answer them quickly.

With luck, this would only take an hour.

* * *

 **And voila, Chapter 20 done.**

 **Little else for me to say here, apart from what I have already said in the Author's Note at the start, and one other thing. Has anyone reading this ever read or watched those wuxia dramas? Those Chinese martial arts movies where people fly around while fighting each other?**

 **After having decided to research on the genre a bit thanks to the quarantine, I can positively say I am in love with the idea of wuxia. Thanks to that, I will be looking into incorporating some of its themes into this fanfiction, though I might have been doing that already.**

 **That is enough from me now. Good luck on your endeavours and stay safe.**

 **I will see you all when I next see you.**

 **References:**

 **Epilektoi \- Word means something along the lines of 'Picked ones' or 'Chosen' in Ancient Greek. When compared to the standard Hoplite, they were the elite and far more professional soldiers used by the Greek poleis, or city states, when at war.**

* * *

 _A Guide to Demi-humans by David Silver_

 _Imps_ _-_ _Short creatures often mistaken as red-skinned Goblins. Despite what their appearances might suggest, Imps are a species separate from Goblins and even Demons, who they are often mistakenly lumped together with. Truth is Goblins are more alike to the Faery species of Demi-humans, a realization that shocks many a Human or Faunus from the Kingdoms. Apart from some minor similarities in genetics, Imps share the Faeries' natural penchant for mischief and want for attention._

 _I once shared a hostel room with an Imp during my research on Demi-humans, and would always find my personal possessions and my research to not be the way I left them. Sometimes they would be under my bed, inside a drawer, and haphazardly stacked atop each other. While annoying at first, it became a game between us, one he still plays whenever I come over for tea._


	21. Dance, Dance, Why Should I Dance?

**Author's Note:**

 **Welcome to Chapter 21 of Demi-Human Students of Beacon.**

 **Another dialogue focused one where the characters are further developed and be friends to each other, for the most part at least. I made this chapter short because I did not wish to drone on and on about... ugh, party stuff.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Dance, Dance, Why Should I Dance?**

Tonight was going to be just another night.

That was what Faen kept telling himself to steady his nerves, and to prevent his legs from taking him away from the ballroom doors in front of him. Funny, he could stare unwaveringly into the eyes of a dozen Beowolves baying for his blood, but a social event such as the Beacon Dance had him rethinking his life choices.

Of what the Elf was currently wearing, he happened to be dressed in his Academy uniform with the addition of a grey waistcoat and a red bowtie. All part of the men's dress code to the event, though many of the more rebellious students went in what they saw as better alternatives. Faen would much prefer to be wearing his longcoat and have Gwaedh at his side, yet he had sworn, under duress, into wearing this suit to the dance.

His team were _very_ lucky he liked them and saw use in keeping them around. Otherwise, he would see to it they disappeared from the face of Remnant next morning.

Kind of messed up for him to be thinking of such thoughts, but hey, everyone thinks of disappearing their friends every once in a while. Right?

Speaking of his team, the rest of FFOG had gone ahead and were already inside the ballroom. They were far more enthusiastic about attending the dance than he was, and went according to the arrangements made with Team AMRT. His choice to go last was intentional, for it allowed him to meditate for a few minutes before setting off for the ballroom. How much that would help was unknown to Faen, yet he thought it better to have done something than nothing.

Team RWBY and JNPR should also be inside as well, probably up to their usual shenanigans if he knew them at all. Hopefully nothing had exploded since they set foot inside the ballroom. That kind of stuff almost always seemed to happen with them around, particularly RWBY and Nora.

Beyond the doors he could hear calm music playing on speakers, the voices of conversing individuals, and even shoes tapping rhythmically to the music's tune. Well, he was now stood on the cliff's edge. Might as well take the leap and see where he fell.

The first sight that greeted Faen when he pushed open the ballroom doors was Yang. She wore a white dress and stood behind a podium a few paces from the door. Yes, she was meant to be the greeter and one who kept track of who attended the dance. A responsibility meant for another, Faen briefly recalled, yet that was of no importance right now

"Hello there, Faen. My, don't you look like quite the charmer in that suit," Yang playfully greeted him the second she saw who he was.

"Yang, you see me almost every day in this. There is nothing special about it." Faen immediately responded as he strode up to her. Behind Yang, the Elf could see the dance was in full swing, and that she and Weiss had done a good job at livening up the ballroom's interior in anticipation for the dance.

"Geez, chill out a bit. Most guys would be thrilled to take compliments from gorgeous young women," the blonde retorted, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Oh we do. I will let you know when I see one," he dryly continued.

The blonde Human scoffed at what he had said, yet did not take it personally. It was a joke after all, and she of all people should know what a joke was. Being the 'joker' of Faen's circle of acquaintances, as she so often touted herself to be.

"Fine, _suit_ yourself!" Yang shot back at him, reminding Faen that, despite being the 'joker', she specialised in bad puns. On the inside, Faen cringed at the pun Yang made, and wondered what God her parents had offended to curse their child with such bad humour. "Well, I've marked you down as present. Hope you enjoy the Beacon Dance!"

"Thank you, Yang. Might I say the ballroom looks... magnificent," Faen said, taking a moment to compliment the Human. 'Magnificent' might be too grand a word to describe how the ballroom looked, but calling it 'great' sounded too mediocre of a word, so he stuck with what he chose.

"Aw, you're gonna make me blush. Really though, thanks, it took quite some doing to get everything like this in time. If you can, take the time to go and thank Weiss as well, she put as much work into organising this as I did." She thanked him, Faen silently nodded back at her show of appreciation. Her reminder of Weiss being a contributor to the ballroom's appearance being committed to the Elf's mind, as he guessed it to be impolite to thank Yang alone for what was a group effort.

He was a somewhat decent person, after all.

Stepping past Yang and her podium, Faen started to scan the room for his comrades. They would not be too hard to find. For wherever they went, his comrades stuck out like an orca does when in a tank full of mackerel.

First, his eyes went over to the long food table, where an assortment of foods was available for the students. While he had expected them to be there, Faen was mildly surprised to see Grey and Tora not hoarding the entire table to themselves. A booming laugh suddenly interrupted Faen's search, and when he looked to the source, the Elf saw the both of them occupying a table together. With several plates stacked high with food.

Tora wore his uniform just like Faen, while Grey... she was dressed in her uniform like them, though she wore trousers instead of a skirt. His best friend had fought tooth and nail, quite literally, to keep the dress the Academy offered she wear from touching her. At least now she was in a good mood

Moving on from the Werewolf and Oni, Faen searched for the others.

On the dance floor he sighted Friesian and Monica trying to waltz together, though it was hard to tell whether that was their intent from where he stood. The two were awkwardly shuffling their feet around like penguins in Faen's opinion, and were sorely not in sync with the music. Still, despite their horrible dancing, both Dullahan and Vampire were also enjoying themselves. They paid no mind to how their dancing appeared, and just carried on regardless of how silly they looked.

Also at the dance floor were Blake and Sun, which he had not expected. The former had not expressed much desire to attend the dance, and appeared to have had a good night's sleep in the first time in ages. What surprised him more was how she enjoyed dancing with Sun, in fact, the Faunus girl was openly smiling.

This was panning out to be a strange night.

Of the others Faen sought, they were just as easy to pick out from the crowd as the rest were.

Amarantha was mingling among the students, the Naga regularly making sure her tail was always away from where the dancers. Reuel also did not dance, choosing to spend his time talking to a Dryad. Whether either of the two was aware of the envious eyes sent their way, Faen did not know nor believe to be any of his business. Weiss he saw looking alone and despondent, while Pyrrha, stunning though she looked, did not appear all that happy with the festivities around her.

Odori he saw no sign of, which puzzled the young Elf. The Kitsune had left shortly after Grey and Friesian had, so she should be here. She had probably gone off to use the toilet or something. Yet, if that were indeed so, why had Faen not smelt her here or on his way to the ballroom?

It was as his eyes went to one of the refreshment tables scattered around the hall that Faen espied Ruby stood close by one. Not far off he could see Jaune taking sideways steps towards the younger Human. The pair appeared awkward... well, more awkward than was usual for them. Guessing he could try to join them, Faen started to weave his way past other students that stood between him and his fellow team leaders.

No sooner had the Elf reached the pair; Jaune passed his cup of punch to Ruby before striding purposefully to some other part of the ballroom. Curiously, the look the blonde Human wore as he left Ruby could be likened to a soldier going into battle.

"Hello Ruby," Faen greeted the Human girl soon as he reached her.

"Hi Faen. Did you come here on your own too?" Said Ruby, sounding as unenthusiastic as she looked. She, like himself, had expressed reservations about coming to the dance, and appeared justified given how she was stood alone here. Ruby would not be alone for long though, for Faen intended to stay by her side for a while.

"Yes," the Elf replied as he grabbed a cup and filled it with punch. Its fruity scent was a breath of fresh air to Faen, for the ballroom was filled with the smells of dozens of aftershaves and perfumes.

"Same here." Ruby sighed, pensively looking down into the two cups of punch she was holding as she did.

An awkward second of silence passed between the two before Faen decided to bring up what was silently scratching at the back of his mind.

"Jaune looks... determined. I assume he has a reason behind... whatever it is he's doing." Faen remarked as he watched Jaune push his way through other dance attendees.

"Yeah, he's got something to do." She did not go into the specifics of what Jaune had left her for, and he did not feel like asking.

Standing to Ruby's right, a cup of punch in hand, Faen looked on as Jaune continued on his path towards his unknown target. He then stopped, having noticed something else at another part of the ballroom. His attention diverted and locked on what or whoever he saw, Jaune changed his course. The Elf glanced over at the direction Jaune was headed, yet he could not tell what might be the cause for the Human's change in interest.

Well, none of his business to begin with. If the Human could handle it, as he had with his test to stay in Beacon, Faen saw no point in bothering with this matter.

Turning his mind away from Jaune, the Elf tried to think of something else he and Ruby could talk about. Weapons were a no go, for while Ruby would undoubtedly enjoy the topic, she would ramble on for longer than Faen was willing to listen. Classes and studying might not be a good idea either, as this whole dance was meant to take their minds away from it all. Figuring that something inside the ballroom would be the most appropriate choice, Faen spent a few seconds looking around, and found a potential conversation topic.

"I... like the doilies on the tables. Did Weiss think of them?" Asked Faen as he looked over to one of the tables, and eyed the doily on its surface.

"Yup," the Human replied simply, saying nothing more as she sipped from her cup. He waited for Ruby to say anything else, but after a long silence, Faen was forced to accept that topic's failure.

Well that subject had gone him and Ruby nowhere, and the awkward silence that fell over them became even more oppressive and unbearable than before. It was a weak attempt at a conversation, yet it could have led to... he had no idea where it might have led to. Honestly, doilies of all things? He had chosen to talk about doilies?

"Faen, did you think this is how we would be spending our time at the dance? Standing in stupid shoes by the punch bowl and watching other people have fun?" Ruby leaned and scowled at her feet, her eyes focusing on the high-heeled shoes she wore. It was as she sent what passed for a death glare at the footwear she began to teeter on the spot.

"To be quite honest, yes. This is precisely how I imagined tonight would go, except for the shoes part." Faen calmly confessed as he shot a hand to grab Ruby's shoulder, preventing her from completely losing balance.

"Well, I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one. Thanks by the way," his fellow team leader sighed as she steadied herself. The Elf nodded, and the two returned to silently standing side by side, a cup of punch in their hands. Two in Ruby's case.

For perhaps another minute or two, the Elf and Human just stood beside one another, both unsure of what to say or do next. Both were not great conversationalists when it came to 'normal stuff', and the environment they found themselves in was none to their liking. Faen and Ruby were formidable warriors, yet had been cursed by Fate with, of all things, social awkwardness.

All the two needed now was for Jaune to return and they would have a trio of weirdoes who were piss poor in interacting with people.

It was while Faen was ruminating on his and Ruby's shared dilemma, that another came to join them. Slithering past other students, Amarantha silently came up to the punch bowl and filled a cup of her own. Moving to stand at Faen's right, the Naga sighed and drank from her cup before finally speaking.

"Good evening. Mind if I join you?"

"Go on ahead. The more the merrier, I think is how the saying going." Faen was first to reply to Amarantha, turning his body so he could face her properly. The Naga wore a purple version of the dresses worn by most of the other female attendees of the dance, and did not look half bad in it if Faen were to be honest.

"What's up, Amarantha?" Ruby questioned the Naga, following Faen's leading in facing their fellow team leader.

"Nothing at all. That is the thing; many here are not all that keen in speaking with a half-woman half-snake." The Naga answered with a gesture to her lower-half, her voice not wavering in its pitch or tone. It really did perplex Faen how she could keep her voice like that, and secretly thought it to be another reason why people were not big on speaking with Amarantha.

Unfortunate, yet Faen saw few ways he could help her with that problem. All they could do for the Naga was let her stand with them, which was he and Ruby did.

As the three were just about settled into their situation, a short and stocky individual emerged from the crowd of students and marched over to where the three team leaders were stood. It was Halvard, and he wore a smaller version of the suit issued to all exchange students.

Both he and Faen glared daggers at one another, yet made no aggressive moves that might instigate something. Though the Dwarf had broken their unspoken agreement to not involve others in their feud, it seemed he had yet to break the one they had spoken of. Strong though their feud might be, it was to be set aside for events such as this. By no means did their agreement say they were to act all buddy-buddy, only that they not try anything that could turn violent.

Originally they had been forcefully sworn into it by High Mentor Chiron himself after a... incident at a midwinter party during their second year at Vigil. One that was a hundred-percent Halvard's fault as far as Faen saw it. Having given their word and sworn on the honour of their ancestors to keep it, the pair had never once done anything that might see a repeat of that party.

"Good evenin'. How are the three of you?" Halvard asked of Faen, Ruby, and Amarantha while he filled a cup of his own with punch. The Dwarf having to really stretch his arms to do something as simple as that. It was funny in a way, yet Faen made no attempt to ridicule the Dwarf.

"Halvard, we are good." Faen responded through clenched teeth, his mood souring the moment the Dwarf approached them.

"By the punch bowl, eh? No big surprise there I see," the Dwarf remarked as he retreated the cup from his mouth, having downed almost all its contents in one gulp. Turning his attention away from Faen, he looked to Ruby and spoke to her. "What about you two? You enjoying the dance or are you here for the same reason our mutual acquaintance here is?"

RWBY, JNPR, and AMRT were notified of Faen and Halvard's enmity, and were told by him to stay out of it. Both Amarantha and Ruby looked at him first, probably to see whether he minded them speaking to his arch-rival. He made no response to their gazes, and idly waited for the Dwarf to waddle back to wherever he had come from. The sooner the better, in his opinion.

Without any sign he approved or disapproved, the two decided to go for it, and spoke to Halvard.

"I came here for a simple chat and drink," Amarantha answered as she poured more punch into her and Halvard's almost empty cups. The Dwarf expressing his gratitude with a quick and respectful nod of his head.

"The... uh, same reason... I guess. I'm not that great at big parties," Ruby confessed while nervously rubbing the back of her head.

"Ach, that's alright. Not everyone is cut out for big events such as this, believe me." Halvard said with a look of understanding affixed to his face. "All you got to remember is that this whole situation is going to end eventually, and to look forward to the day that comes after. Think you can do that?"

"Sure. That might help, I think." Ruby responded to his advice, and it appeared to help her slightly. "Uh, I'm Ruby by the way. Ruby Rose."

"Halvard Bergson, good fortune and riches to you and your family. Glad I can be of some help to ya." The Dwarf responded with a bow of his head to Ruby, a great big smile on his face. "Well, I got go. I fine evening to you, and may you many a finer night in the future."

Faen cringed at the Dwarf's words and felt a tremendous urge to land a punch right at his dumb nose. It was as Halvard made to leave that Faen and Halvard shared one last meaningful look before the latter turned and departed from the three's company. With him gone, the Elf unclenched his teeth and could breathe a lot easier.

With the Dwarf gone, the trio fell back to silently waiting as the minutes ticked by and others apart from themselves enjoy this social event. The silence, which Faen had earlier tried to fill, returned and the Elf felt no urge to dispel it again. All his prior attempts were terrible, and, given his present company, perhaps enduring this silence was better than trying to talk.

Having set his mind to it, Faen was ready to stand there for the rest of the dance, when he felt a presence behind him and a finger lightly tapped his shoulder. Jumping at the unexpected contact, Faen spun on the spot and looked to who had surprised him. Laying eyes on the person, the Elf was stunned by who he saw. Not because the individual was someone he did not suspect, for he knew of one person in particular who could surprise him like this, it was their appearance that had Faen freeze where he stood.

Before him was Odori, and she was wearing the qipao that he had journey all the way to Vale's upper-class district just to pick up.

The dress itself matched and hugged her closely, just as he imagined it would as it turns out, yet did not constrain her movements. For footwear his partner wore a pair of dark high-heeled shoes. Like most others, Odori had not done up her hair or applied more make-up than she normally wore on a daily basis, but she looked positively radiant as far as Faen was concerned.

"Ehehehe, am I that stunning I render you speechless?" Odori remarked as she stood as though to let him admire her a while longer.

"Oh, hello there Akagi. I am surprised we did not hear you coming," said Amarantha as she and Ruby turned to see what had made Faen jump the way he had. Now that he thought of it, the Elf became silently flustered by how he reacted to Odori's appearance. He should be more mindful of how he acted in the future.

Well, with his partner now here, tonight might not be as bad as it first seemed.

* * *

"And then, hahaha, and then everyone just stands there. Staring at him. Seeing he's got no way out this, he... he lifts the chopsticks into the air and shouts: 'I am the Dragon Warrior! Fear me and my chopsticks of power!" Tora boomed with a devilish grin across his face, causing Grey to laugh her ass off. They had done this so many times now, her stomach started to ache from all the laughing she and the Oni had partaken in.

The two had come to the dance as agreed, and immediately cut a way towards the food table. What they found was nothing to boast about, yet it was enough to feed all attendees and two ravenous Demi-humans like them. Both Werewolf and Oni had grabbed what they wanted, which was a lot, and taken a table all for themselves.

Other students repeatedly sent them curious glances, but chose not to bother them.

"My gods that cannot have happened!" Grey coughed after recovering from her latest fit of laughter. She was sure Tora embellished a great many details of this story, yet he was fun to listen to even if it were the case.

"Oh hell yeah it happened. We talked about it for weeks back in Shangri-La, even the Ten Ministers heard of it." Tora continued, his mention of the Ten Ministers drawing a loud snort of disbelief from Grey. He was not done though, for he had one last bit to add to his story. "Chopsticks Chen is what we call him now, and he runs the best noodle shop in all Shangri-La."

"No, you're freakin' pulling leg now." She uttered with a shake of her head, batting a hand at Tora in a dismissive manner to further express her disbelief. There was only so much she was willing to believe, and that this Chen character gained the attention of the Ten Ministers and ran Shangri-La's 'best noodle shop' was more than Grey could handle. Still a fun story, one with a damned good ending.

Storytime done for now, the two returned to their main reason for coming to the Beacon Dance and ate some more from their stacked plates. Not only that, but the two also partook of the punch served here, though Tora had snuck in a little something into the dance to improve it. That something being a flask of store bought sake, or rice wine, from some shop in Vale's Demi-human district that specialised in goods from Anima. Tora bought it for this very occasion, for he expected the punch would not be as satisfactory as they hoped it would be, and they discreetly mixed it with their cups.

Not her first time drinking alcohol, even though she was a year under the legal age in both Vale and Avalon, but not a problem so long as people did not know. Even Faen was unaware she indulged every once in a while.

"My friends, how are the two of you?" Reuel smiled as strode over to his fellow Demi-humans, a bunch of his admirers following the Angel from a distance. Whether he was aware they were shadowing his every step or not was unknown to either Grey or Tora, and decided to not bring it up with him.

"Hey there, Angel. Pull up a chair, we're telling stories over here damn it." Tora gestured to a vacant chair at their table, which Reuel gladly took.

"Yeah, Tora here was just telling me of how he watched an Aura-user killed a bunch of Kamaitachi with only a pair of chopsticks. Can you believe it?" Grey explained to Reuel, a Kamaitachi being a species of weasel-like Grimm with claws likened to farming sickles that frequently threatened the outskirts of Shangri-La.

Sickle-Claws were their name outside of Shangri-La and the surrounding regions of Anima. Fierce beasts they were, easily able to cut off a militiaman's head off with a single stroke of their claws. Some even said they rode or could even generate dust devils, though the Werewolf had doubts on that claim. Dangerous as they were, Grey would not mind having the opportunity to slay a few of their kind.

"Well that sounds... Wait, I beg your pardon?" Said the Angel, a perplexed expression forming on his face as realised what Grey had told him.

"I'm telling you Grey, it really happened. A quick search on the internet is all you need to know I am telling the truth. 'Chopsticks Chen', look him up!" Tora almost yelled, lightly banging his fist on the top of their table while he spoke. He was certainly passionate about this story, so Grey guessed she could at least humour him and do as the Oni asked.

"Fine, keep your knickers on! I'll do just that when I get the chance to," the Werewolf said, lifting her hands slightly in surrender. He would likely keeping banging on about it if she did not. "'Chopsticks Chen'. Honestly wouldn't be the craziest thing to appear in my search history, but it is up there."

"Hah, you want to know what would be the craziest? 'Headmaster throws students off cliff'. Now _that_ is crazy." The Oni smirked, his two companions knowing in an instant what he was referring to. As one, all three Demi-humans turned their heads to the Headmaster of Beacon, who was idly watching as his students enjoyed themselves.

While one hell of an experience, some voices in the student body questioned whether being flung off a cliff into a forest full of Grimm was a morally good practice. For her part, Grey was of the side that did not mind, and believed life-threatening situations like that to be an occupational hazard in their chosen career path. They were training to be Huntsmen and Huntresses after all. Being thrown off a cliff should be the least of their worries in her eyes.

She did not know what side Tora and Reuel were in, but she guessed they were on her side. Both still respected Ozpin and did not take kindly to any exchange students badmouthing the Headmaster.

Still siting around the table, with Reuel recounting the tale of his first flight, Grey picked up a familiar scent drawing close and recognised its owner to be Weiss. Looking towards the direction her scent was coming from, the Werewolf sighted the Human elegantly walk among the students and looking pretty fine in her white dress. Concern for the heiress arose inside Grey when she saw a shadow of melancholy pass through her eyes as she gazed at the other dance attendees.

To see Weiss, one of the organisers of this entire event, to see Weiss, alone and not enjoying herself was both sad and wrong to Grey. Sad in the same way one feels when spotting an abandoned puppy aimlessly wander a street. Wrong because this was a friend of hers. Perhaps the Werewolf could help with her current predicament.

"Weiss, come join us! The three of us are sharing stories right now. You must have one or two fun tales from Atlas to share," Grey cried out to Weiss, a fur-covered hand motioning to the fourth and last vacant chair of their table. As she spoke, Reuel stopped his story for a moment and turned his head over to the heiress along with Tora.

The heiress looked their way, and appeared to toy with the idea. She could do a whole lot worse that much Grey could admit about the group gathered together here.

"No, not right now. Perhaps some time later, maybe." Weiss responded, turning down Grey's offer. "Thank you for the offer, though."

"Really? Tch, fine if you say so." Disappointment filled Grey's mind, and she started to feel even worse about Weiss's lonesome situation. "If you change your mind, you know where to find us. There'll always be a place at our table for you."

The Human thanked Grey, wished the three Demi-humans well, and continued to walk around the ballroom. Why she was like this, Grey could not tell. Had she been snubbed somehow, or did the dance itself evoke some pretty personal feelings in her? Weiss had been beyond ecstatic when she received news that the responsibility of organising the dance had fallen to her, so the second idea was less likely. The first idea then?

Potentially, yet Grey did not know who might have rebuffed her to the dance, so the help she could provide there was limited. Realising now that she should have asked, the Werewolf smacked the side of her head. Maybe there was still time for Grey to get up and go after Weiss, she had not gone far and the night was still young. Weiss did not deserve to be alone in this night which she worked hard to put together.

"Excuse me a moment," Reuel uttered to his two companions before standing up from his seat and following after the Schnee heiress. Well, looks as though someone had beaten her to the punch.

Should have guessed he would go after Weiss, not because the Angel was interested in getting in her pants or anything, but because the guy was helpful by nature. If a friend, or even a stranger, had a problem, Reuel would do his best to help them when asked to. Sometimes when people did not ask for it. Even when the aid would be personally detrimental, he would gladly provide it without a second thought.

It was charming, and a reason why plenty in Beacon had come to like the Angel.

Of course there were limits to Reuel's generosity; he was not a mindless fool. If someone were unjust, wicked, or an absolute jerk in general, then no help would be coming from the Angel. He was also mindful of not being taken advantage of, and acted accordingly when people thought they could try that with him. Something the rest of Beacon were made aware of when he kicked the asses of a team - not CRDL - who wanted to use him to play a terrible prank on a Faunus student.

Beside the Werewolf, Tora leaned in close to her and whispered into her wolf-ears. A wide, toothy grin on his face.

"Hey Grey, bet you twenty Lien those two get together." Whispered the Oni, a large finger pointing over at Reuel and Weiss as the two conversed. Now what she expected Tora to say to her, yet his hushed words had grabbed her interest.

"Not only are you a food connoisseur, a storyteller, and a gambler, you're a shipper as well? What next, you are secretly an internet fashion guru?" She quietly muttered back to Tora, sneaking a little joke in there as well.

"C'mon, you take my bet or not?" Tora growled slightly, his eyes sending a sideways glance over to the pair he was willing to risk twenty Lien on. Following his gaze, she saw the two were still deep in conversation, and from what Grey could overhear, the Angel was doing his best to improve Weiss's mood. If he was not careful, Grey privately thought, he might accidently end up charming her like he had done to his band of admirers.

Speaking of said admirers, the Werewolf shot a look their way, and snorted in amusement at how they were all glaring enviously at Weiss. So childish, and yet so very amusing.

Back to the far more important matter Tora had brought up, Grey started to run through the odds she had of winning his bet. Reuel and Weiss, while friendly, were totally not into each other. If there was anything Grey could be certain of, apart from meat being absolutely delicious, it was that.

However, just because they were not into each other now, that did not mean their relationship could not change. People, especially those at their age, were susceptible to a change in both the moods they felt and the views they held. With that in mind, Grey saw only one way where she could heighten her chances of winning Tora's bet, and it involved applying an old trick of hers. That 'old trick' being a little thing she learnt how to use when dealing with Faen, called 'specification'.

"Fine then. Twenty Lien on Reuel and Weiss _not_ getting together at any point in our first year as Beacon students." Grey said in answer to Tora's question, her teeth showing through her wide grin.

"That's pretty specific," Tora remarked, a brow rising at this newly proposed condition of their bet.

"Hehe, got to cover all my bases. Twenty Lien is on the line after all. Now, do the two of us have a bet?" Glancing over to the subjects of their conversation, Grey saw they were almost done talking to each other. The both of them needed to finish up this business before Reuel returned.

It took a few seconds for the Oni to contemplate what Grey had said. She could practically see the gears in Tora's mind turn as he thought over his own chances of winning if her proposal was accepted. Sure would be one hell of a gamble if he did, for it would raise the stakes a bit, yet that made the bet a whole lot more fun. Not only would it up the chances of her winning, it would also make her victory all the more satisfying to Grey.

The same thought processes appeared to have gone through Tora's head, for the gears in his head stopped turning, and the edges of his lips curled upwards. His answer made all the more obvious the moment he offered his hand to her.

"Hahaha, you're on!" He nearly yelled aloud as the two clasped each other's forearms, sealing their bet.

Grey looked forward to getting that Lien.

* * *

If someone said to Friesian he would one day be dancing with a vampire nun at Beacon Academy, he would not have believed them and called them a silly scatterbrained tosser. As it turns out, he would now be eating those words, for the Dullahan was dancing with Monica Dusk right now.

"This is nice," the vampire nun said with a meek smile. She wore no dress, apparently finding what the Academy offered to her too 'immodest', and had gone with the full habit she wore at her convent. It had been strange when they met before the ballroom, but if wearing it made her feel more comfortable, who was he to argue against her choice?

At least she did not need to wear her shades during the dance. Monica had really nice eyes, and it was a shame she needed to cover them up during the day.

"We look terrible... but nowhere nearly as bad as that guy." Friesian chuckled as the two looked over at a student from Beacon received the scolding of a lifetime from Professor Goodwitch. His crime? Coming to the dance in a banana costume.

Most who were in attendance laughed, as was the student's intent given how he soaked in the laughs. Other scowled at this breach in the dance's formal dress code, but those people were a bunch of sourpusses in Friesian's eye.

Headmaster Ozpin quickly came to his rescue, and let the student continue to attend the dance provided he go back to his dorm and change into more formal attire. The student, as it turns out, had come prepared, and needed to only unzip his costume to reveal he wore a suit underneath. That got a quick chuckle from Ozpin, and drew a new wave of laughter from the few other students who were watching, though Goodwitch might not have approved.

"Oh that absolute mad lad," the Dullahan's head chuckled from its place on his belt.

Dress attire of variable appropriateness aside, the Beacon Dance had turned out to be a pretty swell occasion. Sure people had bumped into his head more times than he could bother to count now, nevermind how both he and Monica looked like right bell-ends with the way they were dancing.

In spite of all that, he was enjoying this night, as was Monica. That was half of the reason why the pair had come to the dance together after all.

The Vampire had been nervous to join him on the dance floor, but had overcome her nerves, leading to where they were now. Her inexperience in dancing was obvious from the start, for example, Friesian had to tell her what to do when they started and repeatedly felt her foot step on his. All of them minor inconveniences, for they got round to dancing in the end. Granted, not in the way the others were, yet that did not overly concern him or Monica.

Continuing on with their dance for a few more minutes, both Dullahan and Vampire eventually tore away from the dance floor to take a break. Finding a vacant spot where they could stand together, the two found Nora and Ren there as well, having also decided on taking a break from dancing. Joining them not a moment later were Sun and Blake, the additional company welcomed by all who were present.

"Hey there Sun. Glad to see you're here too Blake." Friesian said as he exchanged a fist-bump with the former, and shared a look with the latter. He had seen the two on the dance floor prior to this encounter, and had been surprised by what he saw.

Blake was not only in a dress, but had also been dancing _and_ laughing to her heart's content. He had not heard her laugh in so long the sound was strange to his ears. Things were still not fully okay between Friesian and Blake, but no way was he ruining this night for everyone because of that. Perhaps the dance might help patch things up between the two.

"How are you all enjoying the dance? I think it has been rather lovely so far," Monica asked of the four others stood with her and Friesian.

"It's been pretty great! I'm hanging out with some great guys and I got the perfect partner to spend the dance with." Sun happily replied to the Vampire's question. Beside him, Blake smiled at the remark Sun obviously made about her and lightly shook her head at him.

"Same here though I wish they'd liven things up a little or expanded on our options for drinks. Ah, what I'd give for a maple syrup fountain right about now," Nora said with a dreamy sigh. Having said that, the Human started to openly salivate; most likely imagining how different the dance would be with such a... unique fixture. Would probably be a bitch to make, but might totally be worth it for some god-tier pancakes or waffles.

Damn it, now he was starting to imagine how good a maple syrup fountain could be.

"I see we're all having fun. Especially you Blake, it's honestly nice to see you smiling again," said Friesian to the assembled together group. Perhaps a bit offhandedly, for he had blurted those words out so his mind could move away from images of maple syrup fountains. Regardless of why he said what he did, it had worked, and none of the others reacted negatively, which was a big win in his opinion.

"Huh, thanks Friesian. It took a bit of convincing, but I came around to the idea in the end." The Cat Faunus replied to him, shooting a look over her shoulder. Following her gaze, Friesian saw it land on Yang, who was stood beside her sister, Ruby, their conversation impossible for him to hear. He was not blessed with a superior sense of hearing, unlike his teammates.

A second was needed for Friesian to piece together what Blake had said, and he let a wide smile grow on his face upon making the realisation. They already owed Yang a ton of thanks for readying the ballroom into what it was now. Learning this meant they all owed her a little more.

Looking for the second person who helped set all this up, and was owed just as many thanks as Yang, the Dullahan saw Weiss sat on one of the chairs by the ballroom's halls. With her was one of Friesian's latest friends, Neptune. Both were talking to one another, and appeared to be having a fairly fine time together, which was pretty nice. At the very least, Weiss deserved to be happy tonight; hopefully being with Neptune would help her achieve that.

"Well, I believe that is another thing we should thank Yang for." Ren commented, voicing Friesian's prior thoughts about Yang.

"Wait, is that who I think it is?" Monica questioned, her eyes focusing on something behind Friesian. The same time she did that, Friesian could hear some kind of commotion start to rise up, with a few voices letting out a laugh. Whatever was going on he just had to see for himself.

Turning to where Monica was looking, all six of them blinked at least three times to make sure what they were seeing were real. Friesian actually slapped his head's cheek to make ensure he was not dreaming. Even then the Dullahan thought he should pinch himself to make doubly sure.

The cause of this rising commotion, Jaune Arc, was striding through the other attendees of the dance, unperturbed by the looks and laughs directed his way. Not surprising given what the Human boy was currently wearing. For in place of the suit Jaune had worn when the Dullahan last laid eyes on him, Jaune wore one of the dresses issued to the girls for the dance. How and why there was a dress that fitted him exactly, Friesian did not think he wanted to know.

Jaune, who still walked around without batting an eyelid at how he was being laughed at, approached Pyrrha. The Mistral Champion laughed at Jaune as well, before the two started a short dialogue with each other. Again, the specifics of what was said between the two were unknown to Friesian, yet that mattered little. For the blonde Human took Pyrrha by the hand and started to lead her to the dance floor.

This was going to be something Friesian _had_ to see.

"Ren. This... is... happening!" Nora cheerily proclaimed, drawing Friesian's attention to her.

"Wait, what 'is happening'?" Was all Ren could say before Nora grabbed him by the wrist and hurriedly chased after their two teammates.

Still confused as Ren was not a moment earlier, Friesian and the others were amazed as they watched Team JNPR dance as a quartet together. The music, as though responding to their dance, shifted from the calm and somewhat classical sounding stuff that played thus far, to a more upbeat and modern tune. Friesian, who had been stunned into silence when he saw Jaune, started to cheer JNPR on, as did the three others who still stood with him.

Watching Jaune with an amazed expression on his face, Friesian was stunned even further as he saw how synchronised JNPR were, almost as though they had practiced beforehand. If they had, it spoke well of their ability to plan ahead. In the event that they came up with this dance on the spot, well, Friesian had nothing but respect for the team of Humans if that were the case.

Soon, Friesian, Monica, Blake and Sun were smiling like a bunch of pollen drunk Pixies as JNPR split up and started dancing in pairs.

"Now _that's_ a mad lad," Friesian declared to his friends, pointing a finger at Jaune as he and Pyrrha danced together. All they did was nod and admire their ability to dance, particularly Jaune who was damned good at it surprisingly.

Yes, tonight was really turning out to be something unforgettable to all.

* * *

Elsewhere in the ballroom, two Demi-humans stood beside a window and watched the dance around them. A Kitsune and an Elf.

Both had decided it best to seclude themselves from the others a bit for their own reasons. The Elf's reason was as simple as it was predictable; he did not like others and wished to be separate from all those he perceived as noisy rabble. Of the Kitsune, her reason, though similar to the Elf's, was less focused on her disdain for others. No, she just wished to be with the Elf and nothing else.

"He looks a fool," the Elf grunted as both he and the Kitsune watched JNPR finish dancing as a team, then split up into pairs.

"Faen, stop being a bore and enjoy yourself. Opportunities like this are rare of people like us," the five-tailed Kitsune chided her companion before sipping from her cup of punch. Unlike him, she thought the display JNPR's team leader put up to be amusing.

He looked ready to say something that would likely be an attempt at justifying his view, yet he bit back that sentence and looked away from the dance floor.

The two left Ruby and Amarantha earlier so they could stand here together. Faen had been somewhat reluctant to leave the two young women alone, which irritated the Kitsune to no end, yet he changed his mind quickly. Ruby and Amarantha had not argued against their departure, and even encouraged they do so if it meant they could enjoy the dance. Good, they understood he was hers, not theirs.

Casting her eyes on the faceless mass of people in the ballroom, Odori spied on everyone that was of some note.

Of her and Faen's team, she saw Friesian standing with Monica, Blake and Sun. She saw no indication that they might come over to where she was stood, nor could she see any sign that Friesian was aware that they were here. A good sign, for it meant he would not bring that Vampire with him.

Grey was easy to spot, as she, Tora and Reuel were sat at a table and sharing stories. They were too preoccupied with their stories to bother her and Faen, which satisfied Odori. Amarantha the Naga joined them, sitting on a chair they had left empty for anyone who was interested. The three already sat together welcomed the Naga with open arms, and immediately began to chat with her.

Teams JNPR and RWBY were doing their own things as well, though Ruby could not be seen. Where she was, and what she was doing, did not matter to Odori for she was not a 'rival' as the Kitsune identified her other female associates. She was young, and there was one other person she was on the particular look out for.

Yasmin Doronlas; her most intense of rivals and the person she despised most of all in Beacon.

She had reasons for hating the Elf-Dracon, her bitchy behaviour and inflated superiority complex being two of those reasons. A third and main reason she had for feeling nothing but contempt for Yasmin was her interest in Faen. Since arriving at Beacon the wretch had manipulated her partner into wasting time and breath on her, all because they had a shared Elven lineage and equal combatants. Or so the both of them claimed, yet Odori knew far better.

Yasmin wished to steal Faen from her, keep him all to herself and mock Odori with the sight of their deepening relationship. She refused to stand by and allow this newcomer to usurp her place at Faen's side. The Elf was hers and hers alone.

Much to Odori's relief, that accursed half-breed was nowhere to be seen. She might be up to something though, the Kitsune would not be surprised if she had devised some scheme to snatch her partner away from Odori, and she had been vigilant for any sign of Yasmin. Still, hours had passed since the dance began, and yet there was still no sign of the Elf-Dracon. If she knew what was best for her, Yasmin had better not attend the dance at all.

Certain she and Faen would not be disturbed for the time being, the Kitsune turned her attention back towards Faen. She found him staring out the window, his eyes focused on the Moon staring back down at them in all its broken glory. An opportune chance for them to speak.

"The Moon is quite lovely tonight," Odori remarked. It was as good a conversation starter as it could be with someone such as Faen.

"It sure is, though I will admit there to be something nearly as radiant as it before me." The Elf uttered in a low enough voice that only she would hear him. Touching, yet Odori had to contain herself from laughing at his choice of words.

"Ehehehe, is that your best attempt at sounding romantic? Did you practice saying that in front of a mirror for an hour?" The Kitsune asked her team leader, with a slight smirk on her face. She understood what he had meant, yet it was far more fun to toy with the Elf a little than to say a simple thank you.

Faen's face did not change, though there was a slight twitch to his right eye. Oh yes, there was delight to be had when annoying him, particularly when watching how he contained his annoyance. Yet she knew better than to push him too far, everyone had their limits, and while curious, Odori preferred not to be on the receiving end of his full wrath. Perhaps she could get someone else to trigger Faen, and then she could watch from the sidelines as he deliciously ripped them apart in the midst of his rage.

It was in the midst of her fantasies that Faen looked away from Odori and returned his focus to the Moon hanging in the sky outside.

"You have been spending too much time with Grey," Faen sighed more to himself than to her. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, considering his next words carefully, before opening his mouth to speak again. "A simple compliment was all that was. Nothing more."

"Whatever your intent was, I thank you for it. Not only that, but I must thank you again for retrieving this dress for me." Odori looked down and admired herself, going so far as to run the back of her right hand's fingers against the fabric of her left sleeve. Receiving a sneaky sideways look from Faen as she did. "You are a good friend, Faen."

"You're welcome," he replied to Odori, his eyes now back on the window. "Now that we are talking and are alone, of sorts, I must ask you something. Where were you? I did not see you, nor could I catch a hint of your scent. Mind telling me where you were off to, instead of the ballroom as you said you were."

Oh yes, it had been inevitable Faen would bring up that little matter.

"Ah, there is no need for you to be worried about that. I needed to quickly go to the locker room is all," Odori responded as convincingly as she was able, "my locker was not properly closed after today's Combat Class you see. I remembered it as I was halfway here, so I took a slight detour to make sure I locked. Don't want anyone shifting through my things or trying to steal my weapon."

"I see. Well, it is good you realised that in time, yes?" There was a hint of scepticism in Faen's voice, there was no way he could hide it from her. On a similar vein, she could not completely hide the fact her words were a lie nor could she hide her true actions forever.

She had not come earlier for she had been off 'hunting' in the woods a good distance away from the Academy's main complex. She had to use her Semblance to slip away and slip back into Beacon undetected. An Atlesian soldier patrolling the Beacon grounds near the ballroom had nearly caught her, a momentary lapse of concentration making her suddenly appear from nowhere right in his field of vision. She reactivated it in time, and was long gone from that place by the time he and his squadmate went off to investigate.

That had been close, far closer than any of the previous times she had been nearly caught sneaking to the woods. She was getting sloppy, and that did not sit well with Odori. If the Kitsune wished to carry on with these small incursions of hers, she had to exercise far more care, for she had no wish for anyone to learn of that pastime of hers.

In time, perhaps, Odori might tell her white-eyed team leader of her actions in the nearby woods. Now was not the time though, and she still needed to be unquestionably sure of he would take it.

Putting those thoughts from her mind, Odori returned her focus to Faen and the dance, as she sought to take pleasure in both. For a time the pair stood at the window, speaking of a myriad of topics that entered their minds. From some of the most recent rumours that had begun to circulate around the Academy, to more personal matters such as happenings in days long past. Nothing too outstanding, yet by no means was it boring for either of the two to chat about these things.

After a time, Odori extended an offer that they dance together, so see whether that activity was a worthwhile undertaking. To her mild annoyance, the Elf flatly refused, stating her had no interest in dancing.

It was as they were set to debate on the matter, that they both heard a pair of doors be hurriedly opened not too far from them. Not too big of a deal, yet when those same doors burst open more forcefully did the pair take an interest in what was going on. Whilst everyone else was distracted with the music and dancing, Odori and Faen looked over to the source of the noise to see what the matter was. What they saw caused Odori's nostril's to flare and a sense of anger began to ripple through her entire being.

Yasmin had finally deigned to join the party.

With her, however, was a strange sort of entourage as the Elf-Dracon was accompanied by a pair of Atlesian Soldiers. What struck her as all the more curious was that Yasmin had her weapon in its carbine-form out and ready to use it.

All three frantically looked around them in search of something, or someone, but their search was evidently fruitless judging from their frustrated expressions. From where they were stood, Odori overheard Yasmin let out a frustrated curse and marched over to Headmaster Ozpin. The Atlesian Soldiers that came with her keeping on the lookout for who or whatever they had been searching for.

The Headmaster was quick to mark her approach, and listened intently as she began to hurriedly explain whatever troubled her. Unfortunately, Odori could not hear what was being said between them; too much background noise was preventing her from knowing what secrets they were sharing. The Headmaster's face turned grave as she finished, and whispered a few quiet words with her before walking off to say a few things to Professors Goodwitch and Taupe in turn.

There was something amiss going on, Odori could practically smell it.

Perhaps tonight was not as grand as everyone else currently believed it to be.

* * *

 **There we go, another chapter done.**

 **Not too much I can say here except for that this chapter could have been longer. Perhaps another two-thousand words longer at least. Yes, I initially planned for a segment focused on Yasmin's perspective with a bit of action thrown into it, but the idea did not fit with what I had in mind for the chapter so I ditched it.**

 **Oh well, there is the next chapter.**

 **References:**

 **Kamaitachi \- A Japanese yokai with the appearance of a weasel with sickle-like claws that ride around in dust devils, or so one version of them is depicted. I went with the weasel version because it fit with the theme of Grimm looking like animals.**

 **I will see you all when I next see you.**


End file.
